September 16, 2021
Our club's affectionately named crank-up tower trailer Cranky needs some attention. This summer, for the unofficial club ARRL Field Day event, technical team members got the trailer back into basic road shape for use up at Island Lake. See the full trip report here.
But there's more to do to get Cranky skookum again. Here is the compiled list of tasks outstanding:
- spare tire replacement (we replaced the main tires, but the spare should be replaced as well - will need some Deep Creep or other penetrating lubricant to unlock the spare tire nuts)
- generator gas swap (2 years ago the generator was filled with Aspen 4 alkalyte fuel which has a opened-bottle life of around 2 years - drain tank into someone's car and re-fill with a new 4L container of Aspen 4, run for a couple of minutes to get new fuel through the system)
- rebuild the wooden blocks (remove the tin, rebuild to same dimensions with treated lumber, re-install the tin)
- antenna feed point rebuild (water and oxidization at the feed point - bring new SO239, tinned wire and soldering equipment to refresh this key connection point on the beam antenna)
- review suspension setup / adjust torsion bars
- repair tower lockout mechanism (bent)
- modify crank-up pulley system (prevent cable from shafing)
- replace trailer to tow vehicle electrical connector (crusty)
- install tire covers for storage (to reduce UV degradation of tires)
- figure out where to store the front support leg when towing
If you would like to volunteer to take on any of these tasks, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we can set up a visit to the trailer in its storage location (at Ralph VA7NU's QTH).
