Frustrating...

Well, about the new antenna tower. I have it up and it holds a emergency inverted-V with 2x20m wire fed through a 30m long open line. But it doesn't work that well mainly because I think it is too low and sloping to about 2m above the ground. I want to put it up higher a few meters but that means I need to install the rotor + alu top tube and extend the open line a bit. Unfortenately the weather is not really that good, freezing cold, high winds and a lot of rain. Everything on and around the tower is soaking wet and muddy (good for reflections). Besides that it seems I have no time, or actually time is consumed by other things. When I leave the house in the morning it is still dark en when I come home it is already dark, that's the time of the year and it frustrates me.

I can't remember if I showed some photos from the installation of the tower so this is a good time. I haven't got photos from the day we actually managed to put the mast itself on the buck as it was done with 3 men in soaking rain. So far I drilled some holes in the garage wall as coax and other wires will be passing through it. I also digged a 60mm tube in the soil to accommodate the cables from the garage to the mast. And I installed the cabinet that will accommodate the lightning arrestors and galvanic divider. So far, I guess, I did a whole lot. But it doesn't go fast enough. Most of it should be ready before the PACC and hopefully to work the 3Y0Z DXpedition on Bouvet Island. Time will tell if I manage to do all the things I want...

As seen on the left the tower buck is standing (I hope buck is the right word?) and it is exactly levelled. But though unfortunately the mast isn't, it is just a fraction and if have to look at it how to get it levelled as well. I can't remember if I had this problem on my previous location?
If only the weather would be better....

Some more photo's from the tower when it was just installed below






Well, I also did some maintenance on the winches. Actually I thought it would need more maintenance but they only needed some paint and grease. Cables are high quality stainless and didn't have any sign of wear. Shown on the right is also a "refurbished" top bearing. Now if only the weather would be better and if I had some more time I could install everything. Frustrating!

I listened at the 40m, 60m and 80m band this evening, other bands were closed. On 40m there was a lot of noise, S7 with attenuation on. I only managed to hear one station which was 4U13FEB as SES from Italy. Working him was no problem on the vertical, I could barely hear him on the inverted-V. 80m was better but not many stations on the band so I switched off the radio to write this blogpost. Through writing this I hope I can get rid of my frustration....