A brilliant day dawned, so attention turned to repairing the broken wire at the feedpoint of the 3 wire 40m dipole. The dipole was lowered from its support on the building tower and the problem of attaching a jumper from the feedline to the radiator, where the copper wires were significantly blackened needed to be addressed. Dave ZL1DL had a rat around in his “Bunnings mobile” and found a couple of stainless duplex wire clamps. They are really intended for use on stainless wire, but copper and stainless are reasonably compatible, so apart from the complaints that there were only two ( it was decided to repair both feed jumpers, so 4 terminations needed to be made), they were pressed into service.
With the clamps used on the feedline end of the jumpers, the radiator connections were “temporarily” twisted around the radiator wires and overtaped ( pending some more wire clamps being found ).
With one antenna fixed, Dave ZL1DL, who was in charge of lowering and raising the antenna from the top of the tower, just happened to notice a practically identical issue with another antenna. The V beam feedpoint is also at the top of the tower, and it also has a broken feed jumper! Fix one and another pops up!
Speaking of 40m, Harry, ZL1BK’s reveal of the day is a portable 1/4 wave vertical for 40m, that is self supporting ( at least in calm weather ). A simple wheel bracket ( probably designed for a much shorter pole with a flag on it ) coped fine.
In other activities, Graham ZL1TOF fitted the latest (and final!) outdoors security lamp. Mark, ZL1MRT and Andrew ZL1WJQ continued their encoded CW project and a rescue helicopter hovered for some time below our viewpoint, just to the West of Musick Point. Their interest appeared to be kite surfing equipment that was sans kite surfer. Two rescue persons were winched down to retrieve the equipment, then back up and away. And of course after all that excitement, coffee time was called!
