The GM4AFF Blog

I spent 7 hours out in the antenna field yesterday fixing the 20m yagi and the 40m rotator and lots of other stuff. I bought a new (Lazy Tongue) riveter so I was able to replace the small (2ft long) broken piece of the 32ft boom on the 20m yagi. The rivets were too big for my pathetic toy one to handle. The tubing for replacing the broken elements arrived this morning, so that's the next step.
I replaced the broken Kenpro 600 with a HAM 4 on the 40m tower. I used some crimped connectors for the connections, but one of them was loose. I didn't discover this until the rotator was bolted to the tower. So that's now fixed and working.
So even more progress.

I saw the first swallow of the year yesterday, which is about (or maybe exactly) the same day as the last two years. I finally collected the new spiggots for the 20m tower, and got the head unit fitted last night. There's so much broken and needing repaired I don't know when I'll get it all done.
The Kenpro 600 rotator on the 40m tower has lost 3 teeth off the main gear. Understandable because it was never going to be able to handle a 402CD. Now I have to find parts. The HAM 4 on the 10m tower really just fell apart. One of the limit switches seems to be jammed open and the terminal block on the base has disintegrated. The boom and 2 elements on my 4ele 20m yagi broke so the bits have been ordered for that and a new rivetting machine has been ordered.
Have decided to go to GD (Isle of Man) to do the IOTA Contest. This seems to have upset a few folk. None of whom live on the Isle of Man. I don't believe that the Isle of Man is a place to win IOTA from.