Looks like we lost our antenna to the windstorm. Let’s get it back in the air!
https://calendar.dallasmakerspace.org/events/view/1684
Additionally, I’ll call for AR-SIG organizer nominations and a vote. If you’d like to take a turn at the helm, please consider volunteering to lead us in 2017!
9 AM, ouch! I don’t know if I can stay up that late on a Friday night. 
The weather is looking a little iffy for Saturday, but we’ll meet anyway (inside) if we can’t get up on the roof.
Did a survey of the damages on Sun. Base is bent up and probably not salvageable. A more robust/sturdy base could a simple machine shop project. Twin lead is disconnected on antenna end. Tuner got dragged across roof as antenna went down - all connections need to be checked. Pwr at tuner needs to be checked. Pole is bowed but probably usable.
The blocks were too light to hold the guy wires properly. It would be better to use the bucket-o-concrete for anchors for the guy wires, they are cheap enough if not easy to get on the roof. If you don’t have the equipment to get the buckets you might ask @HankCowdog to use his. He got the weather station bucket on the roof without any drama. If the anchors of the guy wires move “at all” you will have the a repeat or your current problem.
Based on the way the antenna mount failed and the direction the antenna fell, I don’t think the guy wires were the problem. Or, more accurately, they made no difference either way. They were orthogonal to the direction of failure, and did not provide any support in that direction. We need to add additional blocks/buckets in the “Y” axis (if we take the dipole orientation as the “X” direction).
I can weld up a sturdier base to replace the satellite antenna mount we were using. Anyone know if we’ve got an aluminum spool gun for the Miller MIG welder? @dallasmagna @LeeCJones
You need at least 3 guy wires spaced at (360 deg / #of wires) apart and the spacing has to be close to the degrees calculated. This is a form of triangulation, you don’t have to have a wire in the direction of force. A force from any direction will be resisted equally.
No we do not have a spool gun at the moment. The new pump for the TIG welder hopefully will be here sometime this week.
I have in the past used the standard MIG gun to weld aluminum. It isn’t difficult you just need to keep the lead as straight as possible.
I’ve got a TIG setup at home (Everlast 255EXT), but, sadly, I left my only 220v outlet at the house we just sold. Haven’t had time to get another one installed, but I can always cheat and glom on to the upstairs AC feed for a quick job. 
One of the guy wires and the two small cinder blocks it was attached to was pulled directly in the direction the antenna fell. If they’d been heavier, the antenna might not have been pulled successfully(?) in that direction by the wind.
Andy and I came by looking for you guys but no one was here. Worked on AREDN and BBHN routers. Can we get an email whenever you reschedule the work party?
Thanks
Kevin
David (I forget callsign) and I worked on an improved mounting bracket for the roof.
While my TIG skills leave something to be desired (not enough heat and didn’t get the base to perfectly shiny metal), it will work for our purposes. 
We slapped some Rustoleum on it and put it back on the roof.
Our antenna is still laying flat, as I ran out of time to do this, and we really need 2-3 people do raise the pole.
