Finally managed to get some willing ground crew volunteer help (Thanks, N1GC!) & we were able to get Olaf, KF4TP’s new SteppIR built on the tower, in the air, today! The slowdown was the smaller-than-standard mast required, since his taper top 25G tower required that I shim up the mast so my PVRC mount (which was designed around that 2-inch size) would work. Once we got that done, it was just simple tilting & turning, climbing up & down, & so forth. Worked like a charm, causing me to thank those old time antenna builders from MD/VA who thought this tool up.
Picked up the elevated guy posts earlier from the local welding shop, for three client jobs. The trailer is so heavy the jack stand post won’t hit the ground, so tomorrow, I’ll have to take a secondary jack along when I park it, This means it’ll really be fun muscling these big boys off & onto a painting surface! C&B Fabrication charges me$10/each for welding on the EQ plates, what a bargain! I love small town shops…
The steroid shot from yesterday? Well, amazingly enough, it seems to have worked! I was apprehensive when I saw the needle, but the young Doc assured me he would be freezing my hand, so I wouldn’t feel the needle. That, too, was amazing. He sprayed the spot & it literally froze & I did not feel the needle. He told me I might feel the drug, however, & he was right there, too. In about 30 seconds my fingertips were on fire. In another minute or so, I seemed to feel less pain & a bit more strength back in my grip. He told me I’d truly notice a difference by the next day (today). Again, he was right. I’m close to having 100% of my left hand grip strength back. Let’s hope this lasts, which it may indeed do. But the fact that the shot has worked so well also means that I am an excellent candidate for a surgical procedure if the effects of the shot are not long-lasting. Getting old, as the bumper sticker has it, ain’t for sissies, all right. It does trump the alternative, however, in every regard.
stay tuned
