[600MRG] XSV only RX until further notice....

[dick.bingham]

Hi All !

Years ago while operating DX on 80-meters I noticed my KW amplifier was behaving badly. I looked out the window toward the shunt-fed tower and noticed a fire burning around the tower.

I ran out side and discovered a totally destroyed antenna tuner and a rapidly expanding circle of fire burning in the dry grass. You would probably have laughed yourself silly watching a guy running around stomping out the fire. 

I was VERY fortunate to extinguish the fire before things got out of control. Thereafter, I kept the area clear of fuel and built a more robust tuner.

Check with your local PUD/Electric-company to obtain some of their discard end-of-wire HV strain insulators. They can be modified easily to support a vertical antenna . . .

Dick/w7wkr and wd2xsh-26

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> On Mar 10, 2014, at 7:42 PM, John Langridge <jlangridge at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> 
> should I say congrats on joining the club by making fire with your antenna?
> 
> base insulator is a common breakdown point.  you will get it worked out.  Its a sickening feeling, though, when you see it and its happening to you.  Once again the IRF 540 shows its resilience.
> 
> 73! John XIQ
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: Neil Klagge <w0yse.7 at gmail.com>
> To: 600mrg at w7ekb.com 
> Sent: Monday, March 10, 2014 9:37 PM
> Subject: [600MRG] XSV only RX until further notice....
> 
> 
> When I went out to re-tune the base coil tonight in the light rain, I
> discovered an arcing (sizzling sound). Then I saw the arc and a tiny bit of
> flame between the base insulator and the mounting plate. I had to shut down
> the TX so I am only receiving decodes for the rest of the night.  I will
> re-evaluate the base insulator situation in the daylight after the rain
> quits, which may be more than 24 hours....
> 
> 73, Neil
> 
> *"I use the original form of social networking: Amateur Radio." *
> *(my ham radio sites are at 'w0yse.webs.com <http://w0yse.webs.com>'  and
> 'wg2xsv.webs.com <http://wg2xsv.webs.com>' )*
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