[BC] P.O.ed by transmission line damage

[DANA PUOPOLO]

I hear you.

I'd be keeping an spare elbow in stock, as they are the parts most likely to
fry in a system anyway.

-D

------ Original Message ------
Received: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 11:11:12 AM PST
From: "Gary Peterson" <kzerocx at rapidcity.net>
To: <broadcast at radiolists.net>
Subject: [BC] P.O.ed by transmission line damage

I forgot the subject line when I sent this a couple of minutes ago.  Color
me P.O.ed.

Gary, K?CX

Something that has been bugging me for some time, and that I have been
harping about (to mostly deaf ears), has finally come home to roost.

At shared sites (FM/TV/translators/cellular/2-way) it has been common
practice, in spite of warning signs, for a tower crew to show up and climb
the tower without notifying other tenants.  In addition to possibly exposing
themselves to levels of RF in excess of human exposure guidelines, they may
do damage to someone else's equipment and leave undetected.  Some do call
and ask for power reduction/shutdown but never seem to give any more than an
hour's notice.  I get pretty ticked when tower people blow into town and
call me during morning drive and want me to reduce power on my FMs in twenty
minutes.  Is it too much to ask to schedule this a couple of days in advance
if the work isn't an emergency (very seldom is)?  Would I be wrong (or in
FCC violation) to tell them I won't reduce power during morning drive for a
non-emergency on twenty minutes notice and make them wait until nine or ten
AM to climb?  If I was the landlord, this would be chiseled in stone.

Yesterday (Saturday) morning, a tower crew, without my knowledge, was on the
TV tower on which two of my diplexed FMs leases space.  At 11:33 AM they
accidentally dropped a 10' length of conduit.  It fell 100+ feet, punched
through the ice bridge and nailed a 4-1/16" Myat elbow.  The outer conductor
caved in sufficiently to short to the inner.  This, of course, VSWR tripped
the combiner and both HT-30s off.  Fortunately, when I arrived at the site,
the tower crew had not yet packed up and left.  After seeing the VSWR trip
indications, I quizzed them if they had damaged anything.  At that point,
they showed me the caved-in elbow where the line leaves our TX building.
The elbow was removed and taken to a welding shop.  It was disassembled and
hammered out and re-soldered.  I got the stations back on at 25% power each
at 5:30 PM (off air for 6 hours).  I don't feel it prudent to run more
power, as the elbow leaks gas pretty badly and still looks as if it had been
run over by a truck and repaired by a drunk.  I can't pressurize the system.
I called Harris and they don't carry the elbow in stock.  I couldn't reach
anyone in parts at BE.  Myat is closed until 8 AM EST Monday.

Finally, if anyone has a new (or used in good condx.) Myat 401-023 elbow
gathering dust, I will pay handsomely for it. (actually, the tower company
will)  Otherwise, I can only hope this is a stock item at Myat and I can get
it here quickly.  Another weekend shot in the ass.

Gary Peterson
CE KFXS - KOUT - KKMK - KRCS - KKLS - KBHB - KIMM
Rapid City/Sturgis, SD



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