The North 80 Foot Repeater Tower

Storm damage from a New England Nor'easter 2008

After more than 16 years of service the Diamond X2200A, that was being used as the primary 220 MHz repeater antenna, failed during a bad snow storm. We had a Nor'easter that blew through New England on Dec 28th, 2008 and the fiberglass radome on the X2200A snapped right where it is inserted into the aluminum base.

The antenna still had an good VSWR, and worked find in simplex operation, but was no longer usable in full duplex repeater mode. The fiberglass cover would move around in the wind causing very bad crackling on the receiver when the repeaters transmitter was online.

A new 220 repeater antenna goes into temporary service...

Until the tower could be cranked down so we could replace the damaged X2200A, Dad and I installed a set of 220 MHz exposed dipoles on a temp 24 foot mast bolted directly to the repeater shed. In this group of photos I have the 24 foot mast lashed to the roof of the Big Blue Beast and several commercial 220 MHz repeater antennas that I picked up from a local communications shop. 

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My friend Pete, AA1PL was able to help me get a great deal on four very nice repeater antennas. Two exposed dipole arrays and two enclosed radome antennas.

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Roland N1JOY and Bruce KD1BE helped me assembled some clamps with long lag screws and pressure treated wooden spacers to bolt the 24 foot mast to the side of the repeater shed.

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Dad and I mounted the three sets of clamps to the side of the repeater shed making sure the lag screws went into the strong 2 x 4 beams so the mast would be well secured to the shed.

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In these three photos you can see the newly installed temporary 220 MHz exposed dipoles on the 24 foot mast and the repeater tower in the back ground.

 

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