Our LOST fights against nature...

  We all know that setting up antennas which have to withstand to the most heavy weather conditions isn't a simple thing to do.

Four times we lost the fight against natures brutality....

1997, june  : Fieldday VHF

Being part of one of the best equipped VHF contest teams in Belgium, we wanted to win the VHF Fieldday.  Just before the game started a heavy wind (seemed more a tornado) passed on the hill top and bended a 5 cm diameter tube, carrying 3x11 el. vhf yagis.

in front : just have had the time to throw the tent down before flying away...

1999, Christmas Evening  :

A heavy rain and wind storm attacked our KT34XA hf yagi antenna.  The almost 10m boom created a power-moment, able to destroy a metric 6 bolt which connected to antenna support tube to the motor.  Due to this, the motor was saved for total destruction, but the antenna started to turn around in all directions.  The reflector felt down 15m and all elements were out of the line.

Afterwards, all parts could be repaired without extra dammage.  Since then, extra bolts are added to the tube and antenna.

2001, September 21th : almost total loss of the complete shack

A, at first sight, small thunderstorm passed in the region.  At the moment that the storm seemed to go to other directions, a lightning bolt affected the pylone.

Dammage : Total loss of a Kenwood TS-870, 2 PC's, motor, 2 power supplies, 100m coax, vertical antenna, alarm system, heat installation, some little electronical pieces...

Root cause : Although all antennas were disconnected, the lightning entered via the public telephone line into the PC.  The PC was connected to the TS870, which was connected via mass with all other shack equipment.

Lesson learnt : deconnect everything, even if is seems not connected to the antenna farm.

2006, 2nd of December : rotor can't support the torsion power of the new antenna's

Test