Amateur Radio WD0M

Grand Junction, Colorado

A Bad Day at Black Rock

Rest in Pieces...

September 22, 2013 - a date I will long remember. That afternoon, a violent weather system swept through southwest Colorado, and a microburst near 100 mph blew down my US Tower TX-455 and SteppIR 4 element antenna. The result was a total loss. My thanks to The Hartford Insurance Company for their understanding and acceptance of the loss, and their kind agents who provided me with compensation under my policy.

The tower was badly bent and twisted. I had to cut it up with a powerful reciprocating saw to remove it.

The SteppIR motor elements were destroyed by the impact.

The tower mast was bent, twisted, and the SteppIR destroyed. I'm still finding parts of the antenna which were driven into the ground by the force of the impact.

The three tower support bolts were bent and twisted. I had to cut them close to the concrete to remove the tower support base.

What remains of the Yaesu G-1000 SDX rotator after about a 60 foot fall.

May you never experience such a major catastrophy in your ham radio career.

73,

Joe, WDØM