‰  NOW 25 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014  QST  PAGE 66‰

MORE PROFESSIONAL WHEN IT COMES TO INSTALLING LARGE ANTENNA SYSTEMS.
AERIAL PRAGMATISM MANY HAMS BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN PUT ANYTHING ON A TOWER
AND IT WILL STAY UP.  WRONG.  WE PUT A FULL SIZE THREE ELEMENT 40 METER
BEAM ON A ROHN 25 TOWER.  THE WELDS BROKE ON THE TOP SECTION AND IT ALL
COLLAPSED.  WE THEN USED SCHEDULE 40 WATER PIPE FOR MAST MATERIAL UNTIL IT
BENT OVER AND CREATED AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE DISASSEMBLY SITUATION.  WE KEPT A
STOCKPILE OF OLD HAM M ROTATORS THAT WE ROUTINELY OVERLOADED.  WE INSTALLED
GUY ANCHORS THAT LOOKED STOUT ENOUGH UNTIL WE WOKE UP TO A TOWER LYING ON
THE GROUND AFTER A WIND STORM.  WE HAVE REPLACED UHF COAX CONNECTORS THAT
WERE MANUFACTURED OFFSHORE WHERE THE CENTER CONDUCTORS WERE A SMALLER
METRIC SIZE THAN THE US COUNTERPARTS.  THE RESULT WAS THAT THEY DID NOT
MAKE A GOOD CONNECTION WITH THE MATING SOCKETS.  WE HAVE ACCUMULATED A
VIRTUAL HALL OF SHAME OF DEFECTIVE, COMMERCIALLY MADE COMPONENTS, ANTENNAS,
‰  END OF 25 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ