Okay, calm down readers…those of you who know me personally know I once lived in Missouri, & jokingly referred to it as “The Slow-Me State,” so you are probably wondering why I claim to have had “fun” there last week. But that’s the simple, honest truth–despite working aloft (on multiple towers) for extended periods, on 25G, which my fat feet really no longer tolerate well, I had terrific fun once the tower work was done.
The first job was installing new T2X rotators for old pal AI0O, near Columbia. When I worked at U of MO centuries ago…well, let’s just say, time & circumstance happen to us all & to all places. I hardly recognized anything around town or campus! We managed to get most all the work done faster than expected, so Rob & I spent Saturday simply hanging out & sharing stories about DXing, shared exploits from our past, along with other assorted tales of wit & wonder. It was great to simply “visit,” which conjurs up images of us rocking gently on the deck or porch, but alas, Rob’s taken down the decking for replacement.
Sunday found me headed for Steelville, to N0AX’s place, where we’d put up three towers back in 2013. This trip included taking down the TH-7, installing new T2X rotators, & putting up a Force 12 2L 30M Yagi. Assorted coax grounding & general system inspections rounded out the workload. Mostly, I’d go out there just to chat with Ward, because I always have a good time doing so…so tower work is merely an added bonus. Of course, all of his three towers are 25G also, so my feet are still in pain today, three days later…
Cork-screwing the 30M Yagi in to position at N0AX
I headed to Peoria, IL next, where the idea was to finally retrieve the Polygon Rod which K9CT has been faithfully storing for me since we (W2GD & I) installed Craig’s station. Stored indoors (no UV exposure), in the original factory covering, I was super pleased to find the rod shows absolutely no signs of deterioration whatsoever! I’m afraid that loading it atop the van was slightly Stooge-like, and the overall appearance was slightly Beverly Hillbillies-like, once loaded (the spool is eight feet in diameter!), but I was able to get it home & stored without mishap.
A quick stopoff at Hill Radio to pick up tower parts for KZ5ED’s installation next week, & I was finally able to begin the trek to home.
Next up, local work…then hopefully the Eastern Shore of NC & then VA…stay tuned…
