A reminder that the next Quartz Hill Activity Day is on Saturday 4 February 2006, starting at 9:00 am.
As usual, the object will be to catch up on project and maintenance work as well
as providing an opportunity to look around the station, try out the big antennas
and meet up with the Quartz Hill team. Visitors are always very welcome and
there is no requirement to participate in the more "physical" activities.
Remember to bring some lunch, appropriate clothing for summer or winter weather (!) plus boots and gloves if you intend participating in the outdoor project activities.
Please contact Bob Stewart Tel 04 475 8448 to obtain the access code for the
lower gate lock or if you require assistance with transport.
Here is a list of the activities planned for the day (in approximate priority order). The list is longer than usual due to the damage that was caused by severe winds over the New Year period - see http://www.zl6qh.com/000362.html .
1. Preparation for Jock White Field Day Contest, including a practice run at setting up the tent, antennas and radio equipment.
2. Investigate the water leak in the shower area.
3. 10m USA yagi - needs to be rebuilt. The centre rope of the structure supporting the yagi elements has broken, causing the 1st and 2nd directors to fall to ground, and bending the 3rd director. A broken feed line jumper wire on the feeder pole beneath the antenna also needs to be repaired.
4. 10m Europe yagi - needs to be rebuilt. The rope supporting the antenna at the reflector end has broken, and one end of the front director has also broken. The other directors are bent and the feed line is twisted and broken in several places. Broken feed line jumper wires on the feeder pole beneath the antenna also need to be repaired.
5. 20m Europe long path yagi - needs to be rebuilt. One end of the reflector element has broken, and the other elements have all been bent (except the front director).
6. 80m sloping dipole for USA - need to repair damage to RG6 coax sheath (near the point where the coax meets the NIWA mast).
7. Rhombic - The top stay wire on the East side of pole 13 has rusted and broken, at the point where it connects to the pole. A new length of stay wire needs to be installed.
8. Europe short path Vee #2 - need to reattach a feed line wire that has come adrift from its supporting insulator, on the feeder pole located at the eastern edge of the swamp.
9 Install white posts to identify the location of the stay anchors for the VHF/UHF mast (the westen anchor has already been identified with a suitable post).
10. Investigate the insulation leakage across the coax to the Europe SP Vee #1 antenna.
11. Increase the tension on the vertical feeder wires to the NA SP Vee #2 antenna - to prevent the wires from tangling.
12. Repair the frayed vertical feeder wires to the EU SP Vee #1 antenna.
13. Install a permanent repair to replace the temporary repair that has been applied to a broken vertical feeder wire at the southern end of the rhombic.
14. Carry out further investigation into the source of the low insulation resistance problem in the heliax coax to pole #8 - if necessary the feeder can be cut back to the western gantry area.
15. Review the condition and tension of the stays for pole #12 (other than those that were recently replaced).
16. Audit of poles and associated hardware, including the bracing hardware on the gantry structures.
17. Continue cleaning mould from walls and ceiling with bleach solution.
18. Check smoke alarms
18. Check 1st aid kit
Posted by ZL2AOH on January 30, 2006