Here's a funny story…..

So I set out all excited for the 2m UKAC with the new 13ele (unlucky for some) LFA thinking it is going to do the business. It's a bit windy but not too bad.

Now the mast that I have is the SP7DEX one that has aluminium sections and these are marked with the limits showing you where to stop on each one. Normally I can raise 2 sections to start with so the place where you clamp it and see the marks is at eye level but with monster beam and the top wires it has to be lower so little me can clip the top wires on.

So I get the beam together. all 8 metres of it and get in on the mast. Tentatively raise the sections as the wind wants to blow it round and its so long it pokes into the road and would annoy a lorry driver a bit. So It's up to the last section and ….oh …whats that as i can't see the marks I realise that I am holding the end of an 6m pole with an 8m yagi op top of it. In a wind on top of the Disco. Great…

Now I have spent some time making the beam and the contest was about to start so wasn't going to just drop it. I tried to lower it on one end and it's fair to say that it worked. Sort of. As far as the aerial was concerned, at least. It had a reasonably easy landing in the hedge. Me on the other hand was catapulted off the roof and when I had finished falling off was suspended by my right arm from the other 4m of mast that were still attached to the car. Head torch in the puddle and no help in sight.

Anyway Martin's SAS training kicked in and I got myself off of the mast. Jacket was a write off as were some muscle bits that seem to hold your arm on. I have no idea how I cut my lip or sprained my wrist.

Anyway time was marching in so I had to take it all apart, bend the broken bits back as straight as they would go and start all over again.

How did it perform…I hear you chuckle. Well as Carl said it probably is too pointy for contesting or at least with my experience. There is a different approach needed to using a beam like this and I will have to take advice from the more experienced. I am still fed up with being blotted out by other stations and getting pushed off the frequency. So I am in my bruised state I am having second thoughts about continuing to run 2M. I love 6 and 70cms but it is too much of a bun fight in 91 on 2m for me. We shall see. Perhaps I just crawled out of bed on the wrong site this morning.

Ow…