First tower/mast. Location and material.

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SCPD

QRT
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Virginia
Smiling.... Did I touch that rotor's control?... even a smiggin? A secret that shall forever remain... ;)
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But that black nite tropical storm made the point moot- I couldn't have finished off that rotten tower any better had I tied. The Army, with their powerful helicopters, had another one in place with the month..
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Yes, I seem'd to have taken the conservative side of this issue- that is, "Don't use an old tower." Liability- I can understand it from any business's point of view. If you tell someone something's okay, and then proceed to tell them how to turn that 'sow's ear into a silk purse," what a snake pit you've open up. The liability issues of new towers alone must make plaintiff lawyers drool- I can imagine what the tower companies legal counsels say about their used products.
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I used to do a lot of things that are now verboten by our legal department (like demonstrate to visiting VIP's the cooking of hotdogs from across a lab with a hot radar beam.) Common sense and a safe old tower still won't stop a lawsuit.... sigh.
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I am drifting far afield here, but since I am already out there- I'll go a little farther before finally SK'ing on the subject (no promises, though...;) )
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"Bill," that station manager and I go back aways. He graphically taught me the important lesson of 'redundancy' on another tour. (No, sorry, but this doesn't have anything to do with rotten towers.)
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Oh, I knew "redundancy" well before this, but never had I grocked it so well as one future night on that atoll.
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Everything at that research station was self sufficient- the water desalinators, the power systems, lighting, refrigeration, air conditioning, electronics-- everything... a little oasis of civilisation in the vastness of the Pacific.. all balanced on two, hundred kilowatt, air cooled diesel generators, standing side-by-side, fed by huge fuel tanks. These generators, housed in their own building, throb'd one at a time, 24 hours a day, continously day in, day out. While one ran, Bill serviced the other. Civilisation hung by the thin thread of those generators.
Once there, It didn't take long before you didn't hear the generators running-- and you thought yourself protect'd in some sort of modern technological cocoon.
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Then one still night, everything went black. And Silent!... A generator had stopped. I, and my crew stumbled out of our quarters (for no one could find a flashlight,) bumping into each other as we gather'd in the compound's courtyard. It was a beautiful star lit night, with the only sounds- the waves crashing on the seaward reef. But my thought were that of the modern.... what's going to happen to all the food in the freezers and refrigerators? Instantly I felt we'd been teleport'd into the 19th century.
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Just before anyone became concerned about our new neolithic status, here comes "Bill" with a powerful flash light, walking toward the generator building. We, gropping, trooped along behind him.
Standing in front of the dead generator, his flashlight playing over hot oil vapours rising from the cooling shroud, Bill said-
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"....Must have over heated"
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"Can you do anything about it?" I asked
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"Not tonight" was his reply, and turned away from the generator.
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"Well, wha,.. what about the refrigerators?!"
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Bill didn't reply, but instead walked over to a large switch board and, threw a large circuit breaker. Then he pressed and held a button. The second generator sputter'd to life... he let it run a few second, threw another breaker- and ... Civilisation return'd! An electric light is such a beautiful thing.... :)
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"Lauri, why do you think we have TWO of them?" said Bill indicating the generators; and as he walk'd towards the exit, saying in parting-
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"Now go back to sleep, little Wahini's"
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Yes, I know- astray'd from towers, but I was in a story telling mood.
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.........................CF
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RFI-EMI-GUY

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Cooking hot dogs with radar is ok, as long as they are well done and Chicago style.

I was staying in a place in Tryall Jamaica and late one night all the power went off over the entire island , rolling black outs to save fuel. I never heard so many tree frogs or saw so many stars, No hurry for back up power. Civilization isn't everything.
 
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