Well I will be QRT for a while due to a storm on the weekend.We were supposed to get only 6 inches of snow and some wind.We ended up getting around 18-20 inches of heavy wet snow followed by light rain and very high winds.A lot of the provincial power grid was down including several main steel structures that crumbled like spaghetti.Power went out around 8:00pm Saturday night and came back on at home early this morning (Tuesday).Yesterday they had to use sky crane helicopters a few miles from home to string 220,000 volt EHV wires that had snapped accross a river .It is still off in some areas and may be the end of the week until it is back on in all areas.My 300 foot long wire was ripped off the tower for the first time ever and the center element of my A3 HF tribander broke under the weight of the snow.I need to replace the center fiberglass insulator.The element halves are just hanging buy the straps that connect them to the boom mounted balun.To add insult to injury I was taking my wife to work at the hospital where she is an RN and in the darkness I did not see the wires across the road and tore my 20m whip off the rear door mount of my Ford Escape and roof mounted 2m/70cm antenna off the roof rack mount.Both mobile antennas are OK but I need to do some work on the mounts.Now I need parts for the base antennas and some decent weather to repair them.At least all the repairs can be done without taking any antennas off the tower,.I just have to take the centre element to the ground to repair it and then go back up the tower to replace it.At least my 6m and 2m antennas on the tower are fine.
Garth 9VE01 PE993 CDX993 Learn from others mistakes.You can not live long enough to make them all yourself.</p>
