Infrastructure projects - new garage door, followed by kick ass electricity

[N3DRB The Derb]

The main man is coming to install our new fully insulated steel garage door this Wed. morning.    the uninsulated 1/2" thick wooden door circa 1978 made the shack so cold that I've not been able to do anything in there even with some ac heaters during cold snaps. When the cable on the left side snapped and left the door inoperable, it was time to move on it.

The garage is also the wife's workspace for her beadmaking hobby, and she uses a electric glass kiln that draws 15A@120 just by itself. The next step will be to call in the pros to renovate the AC power service entrance and add 2 dedicated 120@20A rf shielded lines only for radio purposes and 2 220vac lines for a future big amp and cleaning up whatever rats nest there is in the box at present. They will also bring all my grounds up to present day code and tie in my radio ground system to the service entrance from the inside and install a new ground there.

The guy that runs this electric service joint was a ham in the 60's, so he knows whuts up. I'm psyched that the space is going to be upgraded for year round use. Later on this year, we will be cutting a big window in and adding a serious BTU buster air conditioner for the summertime.

having radios is useless when it's below 40 degrees in the wintertime and over 105 degrees in the summertime in the space you keep them in. 

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

All right!

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Good job, Derb! Worked on a similar project myself over the weekend with the help of K4OZY, installed a new sub panel into the area where the new radio room will be. Need to reattached the current outlets and lights then run a 240v line for one of the big transmitters, and life will be much better. Insulation, drywall, and other finishing touches come later.

Feels good, doesn't it? 

[N3DRB The Derb]

guy came in took one look and told us we had to move stuff so he could reach the old rails and supports to take them out then said he would be back on friday.

great. 

[KD3CN]

Anyone considering home improvements this year should be looking at this list of tax breaks for 2009.  It's part of the new stimulus package.  Everything from shingles, windows to heating systems.

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits

[W3RSW]

Looks like your energy meter is running on high again OM.

  The poor car will have to be parked outside.
     In the snow, in the rain, oh the pain.
       So now it'll be jealous of all your
           newly popular radio gear.
 

[KG6UTS]

Good deal, BoatAnchors deserve their own circuit!!! When we built the new garage/shop/wallow I had a 200 amp feed put in and a rotary 3ph converter. Thats getting a mod with a sub-panel to run in dedicated pwr for the SRT-15, BC610I and other Hollow-State space heaters.
73
EdZ KG6UTS

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

What's the status of the antenna?

guy came in took one look and told us we had to move stuff so he could reach the old rails and supports to take them out then said he would be back on friday.

great. 

[N3DRB The Derb]

still down. i am going out with a wallwort slinging transformer and some rope to see i i still throw like a girl., at least get it up 15 ~20 ft so the flash box will tune it and I can get back on.

All my wife's stuff - tables, junk, etc.  is going to be crammed into my space anyways - I wont even be able to get to the radios I dont think until Saturday afternoon - assuming he does the job as planned. He has to put in all new rails and track supports. We are moving everything into my space tonite when she gets home from work so the guy can get to the old rails. whutta pain in the ass.

I'm starting to think about plan B. The trees out back are too prone to breaking in high winds. The antennas been blown down 4 times now. I cant and dont expect you guys to save my bacon everytime it goes down. Too much, especially for you Steve, you come a long way.

Maybe it's time to think about some masts hanging off the house and going to a KB3AHE special ant. The trees in the back are just not working out. It's time to think out side the box. Maybe a 36 ft long RS mast hinged and put in place just behind the roof of the back porch??? a Derb Perverted V???

Seriously, you and ZE and JN know what I am working with. What would you do?

I dont think putting it back up in the trees again is the answer..... Question is, what is?

[K1JJ]

The antennas been blown down 4 times now.

Four times down says it ain't working for sure.

Was the antenna supported in the middle?

It sounds like a good time to go with the man made RS telescoping pole, Derb.   With a pulley, you can handle any changes and repairs in the future yourself.  Just be sure the pulley and rope are of strong construction.  You might even use  3/16" aircraft wire cable instead of rope to guard against chaffing.  36' at the center is a respectable height for local coverage out to 600 miles, so go for it.  Try your best to make it a 125' long inv vee or flat top.

Good luck, OM.

[N3DRB The Derb]

I think the RS 36' pole is gonna be it. I can hinge the bottom of the mast to the wood on the deck and screw it down with SS deck crews on a base plate. The deck itself is raised 10ft above the ground. So that would be not quite 46 ft in the middle. I'll take some pix tomorrow and post and see what the brain trust thinks.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Which end of the antenna broke?

[N3DRB The Derb]

in the back as always. the front tree is stout and FB. It's all the trees in the back that are scroteless and NG. Antenna itself came down in one piece thank god with no real damage. It's the branches of he trees itself that are snapping and cracking.

maybe a pulley + weight on the front tree to absorb the shock? I think if the shock was taken out of the system maybe the branches out back would'nt break in teh windstorms. There's got to be a way.

[The Slab Bacon]

<snip>
"maybe a pulley + weight on the front tree to absorb the shock? I think if the shock was taken out of the system maybe the branches out back would'nt break in teh windstorms. There's got to be a way."
<snip>

There's your ticket! If its got some "give" somewhere it will be much less likely to break.
 

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Yes, that's it. I wanted to do that the last time we were there but ran out of time.

[K3ZS]

I have had antennas in trees for 30 years.    I always used the pulley and weight system (1 half of a cinder block is about the right weight for a 75M dipole) and never had one come down except by lightning.     I use an egg insulator and a wrist rocket slingshot to send  a length of strung out fishing line over the trees.    If you string out the fishing line first rather than letting it uncoil from a reel seems to work better.    Good luck, antenna time is almost here.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Been working on the same issues here where wind is an issue. Get yourself a good marine-grade pulley for the job, don't go with one of those cheap, lightweight plastic or light metal types. Stainless w/brass, might cost $10-$20, but well worth it. It won't be the weak link in your system and should last for life.