Saturday, April 6, 2019

Antenna Delay Due To Construction.....


If you remember the fence:


This is the original fence installed when the houses were built in the mid-to-late 1970's, so it's well over 30 years old, and the wood is disintegrating. I though about getting some replacement pickets, then realized the cross stringers are probably in about the same shape, so I started thinking about replacing the entire panel, and ........WARNING! MISSION CREEP!!

So I stopped, had a cuppa, and thought some more about it.

I've decide to forego mounting anything to the fence, except the counterpoise/radials, which are just #10 wire stapled to the fence, and just sink a new 4x4x8 cedar post.

This will be easier and cheaper than replacing the whole panel ($25 post vs $85 panel), and my neighbor has an electric auger, a bunch of quickcrete, a mixing tub, and is quite well versed in planting fence posts in this soil.

I was going to have our in-law General Contractor drop off a panel this coming week as he keeps a lot of them 'in stock', but thought about it, and by the time he would have taken to get it here, us tearing the old one down and disposing of it, and then putting the new one up, we could have the post planted.
So the next trip to HD will bring home a post, and the neighbor and I can get to work on it.

I also found out my drill bit extensions are for smaller drills, so I'll have to get a new one of those so we can bore the hole in the tree to drive in the mast.

16 comments:

  1. HAH!

    More like Murphy blocked that road, so we're gonna go around it!

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  2. But you are eventually going to replace the fence panels, right?

    Because, frankly, they're looking kinda 'rough' and you want to get to them before your wife points it out to you.

    Just one dude looking out for another dude...

    Plus think of the brownie points you'll make!

    As to the separate post, you might consider a 6x6 post if they have it. Mass and volume equal strength after all.

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  3. Well, Beans, she really doesn't care that much what they look like, so nope....not gonna spend $85/panel to replace them.

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    Replies
    1. Sounds like you dodged the bullet on that one, then. Whew!

      I sometimes get a tad paranoid about chores and such, for no particular reason since she's sitting right next to me... :)

      Delete
    2. Appreciate the concern, Beans. I'm Real Good about chores, Honey-Dews, and Date Night. Why cause stress?

      The entire run of fence on the South side, and the gate, were replaced the first two weeks we lived here. The fence across the back, and the side I'm avoiding using with the new post, need to be replaced, but aren't falling down like the South fence was. She knows they're ugly, they were ugly when we moved in, and they'll stay ugly until they require replacement.

      And as long as it doesn't affect me, I'm cool with it. This was affecting me, and I figured out a low budget work-around.

      Delete
  4. Replies
    1. Yup. You're not the only guy that Murphy visits on a semi-regular basis.....

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    2. I used my small one ton Harbor Freight engine hoist to yank a fence post out here that had three feet of concrete stuck to the bottom. It maxxed it out getting the thing loose but then it pulled it right out. The legs were juuuuuust wide enough to straddle the hole. Saved my bacon it did.

      Delete
    3. Our DIL's Dad brought his Bobcat out to pull some of the posts we had replaced. Some were in the ground with a lot of concrete, and some only had concrete at the very bottom, and some more at the top.

      Delete
  5. Well, keep us, ah, posted on your progress:)

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    Replies
    1. Now I have to figure out if I can get a post inside my Grand Cherokee. I can always lash it to the roof rack, I guess.

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  6. Snerk, ANOTHER trip to home despot... :-D And probably the better answer overall.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, I think it's a much better solution than mounting it to the fence.

      Delete

Keep it civil, please....

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