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
