QRT for Antenna Repair

[N1API]

This morning with some help from my brother I got the lifting fixture on the tower and the tower lowered. Then I started to take the various parts off that was needed to tip it over.

First unbolt and drop the rotor down so that the tower was free to turn when I secured the lifting wire which will tip over the tower

Next I needed to take the bolts off the base where the tower mounts to the base and loosen slightly the large bolts that secures the tower to the fixture. NOT AN EASY JOB! Tough as the large bolts are tight, probably from being up so long. You don't want the nuts looser than about two threads or so as this is the only thing holding the tower to the base and is the pivoit point where the tower folds over. Lastly I had to take the bolts out for the ring that opens up when the tower comes over. This is the ring that when to tower rotates it is the top pivot point of the "tube" which is the tower.

I have to tip the tower slowly and when the first element gets close to the ground collapse the first section of the fiberglass element. I found what I expected the director tape is all the way out. After collapsing the first section I do the same for the second and third sections. I can then remove the fiberglass element.

Once that is done I can remove the other side of the element which is fully extended. Normally I would not remove them if I was doing some service on something other than the motors but because I am replacing the elements I, (FORTUNATELY), had to remove the other tube. (It comes off fully extended by the way.)

Now the shock..... I removed the Reflector tube first and was taken totally by surprise to find that the tape was out on one side of the motor! "SHIT" and a few other expletives I sad out loud this EHU is bad also. A further shock when I went to coil the tape it came out of the motor. The tape had separated from the EHU. Something we NEVER expected from the ground tests we did.

After a call to Fluid Motion, they suggested for piece of mind I send ALL the EHUs back and have them checked since the antenna has been up since 2005.

What a day! I am totally wiped out. This not an easy job and something that I don't want to do again any time soon!

Tomorrow I'll be removing the motors and getting them packed up to send off. I hope to have them off by tomorrow afternoon! I'll be out back working by about 10 AM tomorrow morning. I've got to get out and get some bubble wrap to for the parts to pack them.

I've added some pictures so you can see what things look like.

Picture one - The tower tipped over with all elements attached.
Picture two - The copper-beryllium tape sticking out of the director element
Picture three - The "pipe bomb" where all wires meet. This will be replaced with a WX proof box.
Picture four - The tower pivot point - this really, (and two pining screws), are all that holds the tower in the fixture. Note the ring on top that steadies the tower when it is erect.
Picture five - The assembly as it sits with the motors on the boom. They come off tomorrow. Note the single element between the director and driven element, that is the 6 meter passive element that makes the antenna a four element beam at 6 meters.