-=> Quoting Rob Dennis to Michael Strates <=-
 RD> I plan on a Linux system for amateur radio use down the road Michael.
 RD> For now I'll keep with this DOS/NT mess until I get something to
 RD> build into a dedicated APRS,Packet,AMTOR etc. amateur radio computer
 RD> system. 
Sounds fair enough. The goodies you can download for packet on Linux are
enormous. Everything from 6m RTTY login programs, to satellite trackers!
 RD> Weather seems to kill antennas up here very fast if they are
 RD> fibre-glass or bare-wire based. Either it is the UV levels we get or
 RD> the rain and ice that does it. Many stranded wire antennas did not
We don't get much snow/ice around here in Melbourne, but it does get pretty
cold, and sometimes pretty hot (although not scortching!). The rain we get
over here in Winter, and also the hail (anything from microscopic to
golf ball sized :-) that falls damages them badly.
My 27mhz whip fell from my very unstable tower, onto the roof of my house,
and was submerged in water for about two weeks, before I noticed. Needless
to say, it wasn't worth saving after that.
 RD> survive the ice storms we had in January and some fibre-glass antennas
 RD> simply snapped from the ice-loading. None of my aluminum antennas were
Gheez.. Juneish (fall) last year we had a pretty big hailstorm, which
brought down a small yagi I had mounted about 40ft in the air. When it hit
the bottom, it was a SmAgi (smashed-yagi!) :-)
 RD> damaged by ice,but then I was nuts enough to go up the tower twice to
 RD> knock the ice off the booms with a stick! 
In this area, kids are also a major problem. I put a yagi about 15ft above
my window, just for plain FM (80-180mhz) reception, and when I got home,
it was on the floor, in bits.
I just hope no kid does climb one of my masts, falling from 45ft would
cause somebody a considerable amount of damage! (although it might teach
'em a valuable lesson!).
Michael.
... Ham towers are marvels, until they fall down.. oopsss**crash**
--- Blue Wave/DOS v2.30 [NR]
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