[HamWAN PSDR] Lookout maintenance update

[Rob Salsgiver]

In the case of Lookout, the incoming CAT cables went into the bottom of the lightning protection similar to your picture at Haystack.  Once the jackets of the CAT cables were compromised up above, the water rode down the jackets clear inside the building.  Ironically the lightning protection wasn’t affected, as the excess cable looped inside and upward entry into the lightning protection served to stop/slow the path of the water.  It was mostly when the cables were unplugged and left to hang that the water started dripping out.  It could have been worse.  The hardline that broke free up above did a pretty serious number on the CAT cables, stretching them and allowing them to abrade on the angle iron / etc.

 

Cheers,

Rob

 

From: Bart Kus <me at bartk.us> 
Sent: Saturday, October 28, 2023 8:38 PM
To: Puget Sound Data Ring <psdr at hamwan.org>; Rob Salsgiver <rob at nr3o.com>
Subject: Re: [HamWAN PSDR] Lookout maintenance update

 

Water water everywhere!  New water drainage devices have been installed @ Haystack.  May be useful elsewhere.  Surprised to hear SnoDEM was affected.  Those cables are really well supported.



--Bart

 

On 10/28/2023 6:27 PM, Rob Salsgiver wrote:

The maintenance at Lookout is complete.

 

Problems found on inspection include:

1.	PTP link to Triangle (only one operating) had an abrasion in the CAT5E jacket up next to the dish.  This link has been intermittent, causing the site to go up and down repeatedly, most notably during periods of rain.
2.	PTP link to SnoDEM was found to have significant damage to the CAT5E jacket toward the upper end where it runs from the main cableway out to the dish.
3.	Sector 2 is offline (more on this below)

 

The cause of the damage to both PTP link CAT cables was due to another tenant’s antenna hardline had become detached from it’s mountings and fell toward the inside of the tower, stretching both CAT cables and damaging them.

 

New CAT cables were pulled for both Triangle and SnoDEM PTP dishes and the site is stable once again and fed from both sources.

 

Sector 2 is still down, as we simply could not get to it on this trip.  S2 is substantially higher on the tower and after the first two antennas were corrected the call was made to stop there due to fatigue and waning daylight.  It is unlikely that S2 will be fixed before winter, but it should be able to be done as soon as an opening allows in the spring.

 

While we didn’t go up to examine the cable, it was leaking water through the jacket down at the tower base just like the Triangle and SnoDEM PTP dishes were, so it likely shares the same root cause.  

 

Apologies we weren’t able to get S2 done, but at least it looks to be cabling instead of a hardware issue.  For now S2 has been unplugged at the lightning arrestor.

 

Thanks to Kenny Richards, Scott Honaker, and Jim Irving for joining me to help make this all happen.   We were fortunate to luck into likely the last weather opening for the season.

 

Cheers,

Rob Salsgiver – NR3O





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