I rarely get caught with the antenna fully extended when the wind is
gusting.Thank goodness for electric winches!

Crank up masts are an entirely different kind of antenna mount. I
would not bet on it withstanding 110 mph winds in the up position, but
I am betting it will do more than that retracted!

Wednesday, 13 Jul 2005 23:14:08 -500, "Asimov"
wrote:

"John Ferrell" bravely wrote to "All" (13 Jul 05 14:47:06)
--- on the heady topic of " AD5TH Tower - Storm Damage Photos"

JF From: John Ferrell
JF Xref: aeinews alt.ham-radio.vhf-uhf:8238

JF Hang tough & enjoy your tower Charlie!
JF If it breaks, fix it. Otherwise enjoy it!

JF Some day I may get brave and post the pictures of my fold over-crank
JF up mast with the CushCraft A3 beam on it. It waves around in the wind
JF like a sailboat mast and flexes the I-beam gantry enough to scare the
JF clueless when it is time to do antenna work.

JF When mine breaks, I will either fix or replace, just as I have always
JF done...

JF My current worries are lightning and ice.

JF It has only been up about five years, time will tell.


There is a thing called metal fatigue of which I was abruptly reminded
of this spring. I was raking the lawn as I usually do and the aluminum
handle just snapped in half without any provocation. No way I could
have casually seen it but the rake was some decades old and probably
flexed all it would flex. So there you go, time is against us!

A*s*i*m*o*v

... Give me that old time religion. Hail, Zeus!