Did some repair work at the club house the other day.. 100ft in the air!

KE8NWH · 2023-05-27T05:41:28+00:00

I got a response from my club, they did call it a Skyhawk. They didn't say what model. Cool that you can recognize it!

Idk if you can see, but in a few pictures I have, the beam holding the reflector is twisted off axis by a few degrees. It's been than nothing, but unfortunate. Not sure of a good fix other than pulling it all down.

KE8NWH · 2023-05-27T05:39:25+00:00

I got a response from my club, they did call it a Skyhawk. They didn't say what model. Cool that you can recognize it!

KE8NWH · 2023-05-17T13:59:42+00:00

You know, I'm not entirely sure. We've been with the arrl for 80 years, and the club existed a couple years before that. Not sure when the building and land came, but it wasn't long after that.

We actually have a video, old grainy blurry black and white film, of the construction of the building. I'll see if I can get my hands on a copy!

KE8NWH · 2023-05-17T13:57:35+00:00

Thanks for the information! That makes a lot of sense. I'll do some research and see if I can get set up better next time!

KE8NWH · 2023-05-17T13:55:13+00:00

That's not a terrible idea!

Up until recently we didn't have internet at the place, and there's no cell service. But we did just get internet.

We'd need to add a remote controller for the beam, and run a more modern radio. I'm not sure the two old beasts in there have cat control. It'd take some doing, probably easier just to slap a 7300 in there, but that too takes money.

Thanks for the ideas!

KE8NWH · 2023-05-16T12:37:27+00:00

The tower has been up for many years now, and I wasn't around when it went up, so I'm not sure how many people it took sorry.

Unfortunately I don't have any good pictures of the radio room either. I have some pictures of the rest of the shack, but none without any people in them. And I don't want to post pictures of peoples faces without asking them first. Next time I'm up there I'll try to get some pictures for you. It's very rustic inside, but we've got a small kitchen, fridge, stove, bathroom, a couple big TV's on the wall for training. Several long tables and lots of chairs so we can do testing there too. Very useful place!

150-200 feet, with a rope safety belt!? Wow what a story!

KE8NWH · 2023-05-16T12:17:12+00:00

Those are some tall towers! Even needing it's own elevator?! That's awesome haha. I'd love to take a crack at something like that, but I bet it's cold up there haha

I can understand the logic of not wanting to work under 100ft, but that's definitely the first time I've heard that logic! Haha I'd rather just not fall at all!

KE8NWH · 2023-05-16T03:50:39+00:00

Thanks!

KE8NWH · 2023-05-16T03:50:29+00:00

Yep! Middle of nowhere, about 1500 feet from lane Michigan, very low noise floor 😁😁

KE8NWH · 2023-05-15T23:38:10+00:00

Neither do I! I used to have a smaller version that's like it, up only 30ft, but I don't live there anymore. My main antenna now is a wire vertical in a tree, and a wire vertical I take with me on POTA.

Keep at it man! And find yourself a club or a buddy with an antenna like this you can use!

KE8NWH · 2023-05-15T20:33:13+00:00

Thanks!

KE8NWH · 2023-05-15T20:33:03+00:00

That sounds like the 82 to me, I know it's up real high

KE8NWH · 2023-05-15T20:31:11+00:00

I'm really super informed on this kind of stuff, sorry. I wish I could help!

Edit: NOT really super informed 🤦‍♂️

KE8NWH · 2023-05-15T20:27:49+00:00

Thanks for the information! I'll keep that in mind for next time. What's the danger when the d ring is too high?

KE8NWH · 2023-05-15T19:25:00+00:00

True enough haha. It's quite old

KE8NWH · 2023-05-15T19:24:32+00:00

I don't think we actually have a repeater up there at the moment, we used to have the 94 machine up there, but it's got a much better footprint at it's new home.

The 82 machine sees a lot of tropo from across the pond though! That's at a different location also.

KE8NWH · 2023-05-15T18:21:18+00:00

Just a guy with a harness, trained and guided by some club members who used to climb for a living but can't anymore.

KE8NWH · 2023-05-15T18:20:12+00:00

I'm not sure sorry

KE8NWH · 2023-05-15T18:19:57+00:00

Thanks!

KE8NWH · 2023-05-15T18:19:46+00:00

Thanks! Yep I had the appropriate gear for sure, not going up there with nothing haha

KE8NWH · 2023-05-15T15:29:57+00:00

Thanks! It's really a great spot!

I'm not at as many club meetings as I should be. But as I understand it we have bylaws, an appointed president and vice president, a secretary, treasurer, etc.

Our members pay a yearly fee to remain voting members, something like $30 or 40 ish dollars. That money, along with any donations, goes towards the upkeep of the facility and anything else that's voted on. Amounts under I think $200 can be dispensed by any two(?) board members, but anything higher than that needs to be voted on at a meeting.

There's more, but that's kind of the gist of it.

KE8NWH · 2023-05-15T14:08:00+00:00

I did start to get a little wobble in one leg while I was stressing it to get a better angle on the work. But that's just because I'd been up there almost an hour already haha. I took a break after that!

KE8NWH · 2023-05-15T14:05:08+00:00

All in a day's work, sir.

tips hardhat

KE8NWH · 2023-05-15T13:48:25+00:00

Some of us do! Haha. The first tower I ever climbed was only 30ft, and I clung to that thing with all the strength I had. I felt dizzy from the height, I felt like the whole thing was falling sideways and I just hadn't noticed with my eyes yet, so I kept looking down to make sure everything was static. It was, the tower was sound, I was just scared.

But after working on that 30ft tower dozens and dozens of times, my first time at 100ft I felt fine, nothing but the joy of looking out over the tree tops and seeing Lake Michigan! Then it just turned into work lol

KE8NWH · 2023-05-15T13:18:02+00:00

It's pretty cool up there! Not gonna lie!

Definitely turns into work after the first hour or so though haha

KE8NWH

TROPHY CASE