Hi.
I'll tell you a funny story about that.
Back in the spring of 1991, we had a major ice storm that put enough ice
load on my 80 / 40 inverted vee antenna system to not only break the wire
at the feedpoint but also cracked the wooden mast that was supporting the
whole thing. I decided I wasn't being knocked off the air, so as soon as
the electricity came back I found a section of PVC of sufficient diameter
to stuff what was left of the wooden mast inside one end, and I made as
good a mechnical connection as I could and raised it back up in the air.
Being one of those "I'll get around to it" guys, I naturally didn't get the
antenna system fixed properly while we had nice weather and on a mid
December breezy day, I was operating on 80 meters and noticed a fluctuating
SWR and lots of crackling in the receiver.
A ham friend of mine, Keith Hibbert, WB2VUO, lived just down the road and
had a butane fired soldering iron. I called him and asked if I could
borrow it to make repairs on the antenna. He came down to the house, and
we pulled the antenna down. After cleaning up the wire, he proceeded to
light the iron to make the solder connection but every time he would get
ready to solder, a gust of wind would come along and blow the iron
out. There we were, sitting on top of my horse barn (I lived in Bergen, NY
at the time), trying to figure out how we were going to make a sound
reliable connection, when I got the idea to sit upwind from him and spread
my coat open as a wind block. So, there we were in 19 degree weather--with
me spreading my winter coat wide open while Keith soldered the
antenna. Our church secretary, a sort of nosy fretting woman was driving
down the road, and nearly drove off the road when she saw the blind guy
perched on top of the horse barn with his coat spread open, looking like he
was preparing to fly somewhere for the winter!
73, de Lou K2LKK
At 06:48 PM 11/10/2008 -0500, you wrote:
>Around here, the outside connectors can be at a disadvantage as well because
>there's almost always a breeze and believe it or not, that will make it even
>with a big soldering gun, it will make it very hard to get the solder
>flowing. You can do it, but it takes a while, not as easy as inside and
>where I run the coax through, you pretty much have to solder the outside
>connectors outside.
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Louis Kim Kline" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Monday, November 10, 2008 5:45 PM
>Subject: Re: raising antennas
>
>
> > Hi John.
> >
> > Most times when that happens because either they aren't using a large
> > enough iron to properly melt the solder, or there is plating that is
> > keeping the solder from making a good bond. Usually it is too small of an
> > iron that is the problem.
> >
> > 73, de Lou K2LKK
> >
> >
> >
> > At 08:39 PM 11/9/2008 -0500, you wrote:
> >>I know one too and he's the only one other than me who I'll let do it,
> >>everyone else I've ever had do them for me, it's come off, the most
> >>recent,
> >>not even having any solder on it at all. He had the soldering iron with
> >>him,
> >>but I don't know, the solder didn't stick for some reason. So, from now
> >>on,
> >>I do my own. They might not be as pretty as my friend who's the pro, but
> >>at
> >>least they work.
> >>----- Original Message -----
> >>From: "Louis Kim Kline" <[log in to unmask]>
> >>To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >>Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 8:03 PM
> >>Subject: Re: raising antennas
> >>
> >>
> >> > Hi John.
> >> >
> >> > Well, I'm sorry to say that if I want a PL259 connector to last, I let
> >> > someone else solder it. My hat is off to you if you can do it; I've
> >> > never
> >> > been able to pull it off since my vision went, and rather than pop a
> >> > set
> >> > of
> >> > finals in a rig, I'll let someone else do the dirty work. Fortunately,
> >> > I
> >> > know a few guys around here that are very good at what they do because
> >> > they
> >> > work in commercial radio.
> >> >
> >> > 73, de Lou K2LKK
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > At 04:10 PM 11/8/2008 -0500, you wrote:
> >> >>I've learned over the years to solder my own connectors on because as
> >> >>of a
> >> >>couple weeks ago, every single one I had other people solder, other
> >> >>than
> >> >>the
> >> >>ones I inspected, had problems. Only antennas I can't work on myself
> >> >>are
> >> >>the
> >> >>one on the vent pipe on the roof of the house, and I don't like to work
> >> >>on
> >> >>the ones on the side of the house myself though will if I have to. The
> >> >>wire's are good unless the rope breaks, if the rope's good I can lower
> >> >>it,
> >> >>do what I have to and run it back up, if the rope breaks, I'm not sure
> >> >>the
> >> >>tree will hold me if I climb it and I don't trust my aim with the wrist
> >> >>rocket though I have my own so anyone with any aim at all can put the
> >> >>rope
> >> >>back for me.
> >> >>----- Original Message -----
> >> >>From: "Richard Fiorello" <[log in to unmask]>
> >> >>To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >> >>Sent: Saturday, November 15, 2008 1:33 PM
> >> >>Subject: raising antennas
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> > Hello;
> >> >> > Just like the rest of the world many blind people are more handy
> >> >> > than
> >> >> > others. I can generally figure out the basics of a radio on my own
> >> >> > but
> >> >> > when
> >> >> > it comes to antenna installation help is needed. Its a combination
> >> >> > of
> >> >> > soldering, drilling and knowing where those mysterious power lines
> >> >> > are.
> >> >> > True some blind folks can solder and many aren't reluctant to get
> >> >> > out
> >> >> > the
> >> >> > drill but I would rather look for some assistance and feel more
> >> >> > certain
> >> >> > it
> >> >> > is done correctly the first time.
> >> >> > The down side of things can be that sometimes your helpers feel they
> >> >> > no
> >> >> > best
> >> >> > and what you end up with may not be what you planned on.
> >> >> > Looking at my hf9v even if the instructions were brailed (which they
> >> >> > won't
> >> >> > be) they rely heavily on pictures and color codes.
> >> >> > Richard
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>--
> >> >>No virus found in this incoming message.
> >> >>Checked by AVG.
> >> >>Version: 7.5.549 / Virus Database: 270.9.0/1777 - Release Date:
> >> >>11/9/2008
> >> >>9:53 AM
> >> >
> >> > Louis Kim Kline
> >> > A.R.S. K2LKK
> >> > Home e-mail: [log in to unmask]
> >> > Work e-mail: [log in to unmask]
> >> > Work Telephone: (585) 697-5740
> >>
> >>
> >>--
> >>No virus found in this incoming message.
> >>Checked by AVG.
> >>Version: 7.5.549 / Virus Database: 270.9.0/1779 - Release Date: 11/10/2008
> >>7:53 AM
> >
> > Louis Kim Kline
> > A.R.S. K2LKK
> > Home e-mail: [log in to unmask]
> > Work e-mail: [log in to unmask]
> > Work Telephone: (585) 697-5740
>
>
>--
>No virus found in this incoming message.
>Checked by AVG.
>Version: 7.5.549 / Virus Database: 270.9.2/1782 - Release Date: 11/11/2008
>7:32 PM
Louis Kim Kline
A.R.S. K2LKK
Home e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Work e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Work Telephone: (585) 697-5740
|
