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Author Topic: W3LPL station damage  (Read 4888 times)
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WA2SQQ
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« on: June 24, 2016, 08:30:27 AM »

I just received an e-mail from a friend who told me the famous W3LPL contest station in MD was a victim of the recent tornado. One 200ft tower and all antennas on it were destroyed. Anyone seen any photos yet?

http://qrznow.com/w3lpl-severe-weather-causes-damage/
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K1JJ
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"Let's go kayaking, Tommy!" - Yaz


« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2016, 12:30:30 PM »

Is that one of them-thar "sheet metal" towers?  200'? Yikes. Hope it wasn't aluminum too. Looks like it didn't use any torque arms either = deadly twisting forces.

Always use steel round bar and thick tubing/pipe legs, like Rohn 45 or stronger.

Even stronger to use SOLID steel legs and cross braces, though much more expensive.

Steel guys rather than Phillystran  are important too.

Most ANY tower will stand tall until a big ice load, hurricane, micro-burst or tornado comes along.   Many hams load marginal towers too heavily with feedlines and antennas, past their wind and ice ratings and then pray they survive.

Ice is the big equalizer here in the NE.  Tornados are random bad luck and can destroy even good, well-rated installations.

T


* Tower 1.jpg (88.55 KB, 526x526 - viewed 419 times.)
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Steve - K4HX
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« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2016, 03:59:46 PM »

That storm hit on Tuesday. I drove within a few miles of LPL's place on Wednesday. Tons of trees and branches down all around.

Too bad about the damage.
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w3jn
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« Reply #3 on: June 26, 2016, 10:24:03 PM »

That tornado started only a few miles east of me in Woodbine, MD, and was on the ground for 20 minutes.  Having been through several tornadoes when I lived in Minnesota, I hope never to see another one.
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K1JJ
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« Reply #4 on: June 27, 2016, 12:10:15 PM »

That tornado started only a few miles east of me in Woodbine, MD, and was on the ground for 20 minutes.  Having been through several tornadoes when I lived in Minnesota, I hope never to see another one.

Yep, it's like nice WX, OM - then dark Hell  - then hi hi FB again all in fast forward..

Back in Aug 1979? I walked thru the tornado devastation in Windsor Locks, CT.  I wasn't supposed to be there, but the cops thought I was a local, I guess.   I saw many bare house foundations, huge trees twisted everywhere and wood splinters impaling anything in their path - total chaos. I walked thru a graveyard and saw a ripped up bed mattress wrapped around a monument. An arm was torn off the statue. Still have pictures of it.

Along RT I-91 you could see where it started and set down in a forest of trees. Looked like an excavator went thru and then led right into the neighborhood.

I was about 15 miles away when it occurred and wondered why the sky was so dark and why it turned GREEN!  

The next worst thing is a micro-burst. We had 100+ winds here a few years back and it took down some Yuge trees all in a matter of 15 seconds.  This is the time of year, bros.

T
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w3jn
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« Reply #5 on: June 27, 2016, 08:00:50 PM »

Yep, green sky is a tell-tale for an impending tornado.  If you ever see a green sky, head for the basement.

Back home we had tornado sirens, and as a kid I remember regularly trundling down to the basement.

Here's a pic of the green sky

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« Reply #6 on: June 28, 2016, 07:23:56 PM »

Like Ron White said, it's not THAT the wind is blowing, it's WHAT the wind is blowing!
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