Alaska Winter Field Day Disaster: BuddiHex Taken Down by Winter Storm!

[@vickimckenney6173]

Awesome Video!! Love the synchronized spin around!! 😂❤

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

@@vickimckenney6173 Haha thanks Vicki!

[@Retired_Five-0_W4WAG]

You definitely Upped your Video Shooting and Editing game. Nice Job! 👍

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

@@Retired_Five-0_W4WAG thanks brother! Still a lot to learn! 😀 Thanks for watching my friend, 73

[@off-trailseeking3965]

For sure! KD9MSP

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

Thanks my friend! 73

[@mobiltec]

Dang that's too bad guys. I made quite a few contacts for WFD but it was all in country. Not a lot of DXing that weekend.

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

Yeah we didn’t get any out of the country either! Thanks for watching my friend, 73

[@toddhowell2299]

I hope you can replace that section of the mast and it's not a total loss. Those Mastwerks tripods are not cheap. You guys had quite the adventure. Here I was complaining about setting up in VT with 8" of snow. I love the videos, Jeremy. They tell much more of the story.

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

@@toddhowell2299 Thank you my friend! Not sure if we can get that section of the mast. The whole mast is no good as it bent all the sections ever so slightly that it wouldn’t collapse without some brutal force. Thats where I’m hoping my videos will be, more story telling! Thanks for that my friend and for watching, 73

[@toddhowell2299]

@@KL7ECoutdoors I've had my eye on that antenna/mast for some time now. I was actually considering installing it at the house and just lowering it when not in use. After seeing that, it's probably not a good idea. But for temporary use it just looks awesome. I was thinking about the failure today and was wondering if the upper guy lines came loose, causing it to fail. It looked like you guys still had fun. What a beautiful spot.

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

@@toddhowell2299 Thanks my friend! Were thinking snow came off the roof and hit the guy lines. Yeah I wouldn’t use the buddihex for a permanent install. Thanks for watching, 73!

[@P.SeanCoady]

If the snow storm doesn't take your antenna down then you didn't have it high enough 😅

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

@@P.SeanCoady haha right!! Thanks for watching my friend!

[@captainwyattoutdoors1636]

Looks like a great time, nonetheless!

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

Indeed my friend, thanks for watching, 73!

[@DK5ONV]

💥 SO BEAUTIFUL💯👍 I am sorry for the collapsed Hex Beam. This is the only Reason why I have not gotten me one. They cannot handle severe WX. The powerful Sun ruins the Carbon Fiber Pipes thru the Summer Month and the heavy Snow and cold Temps of the Winter finish this great working Antenna up. That really sucks. You Guys are true Bushcraft Outdoor Heros. Respect and Honor to everyome of you for the fantastic Job you did. Keep up the good Work. 73 de Uncle Günter across the Pond 💯👍🙋‍♂

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

Thanks my friend! The portable one you definitely don’t want to keep up permanently. We have to watch when and how we deploy the antenna moving forward. Thanks for watching brother, 73!

[@mattstosh6960]

Winters in Alaska are becoming down-right strange. It was raining in Fairbanks and +41F until 3 hours before WFD began, Real bummer about the antenna.. Surely you can repair or replace? WFD is all about practicing for emergency operations and you guys did a great job shifting to Plan B. You should be drinking "Tactisquatch" Black Rifle instead of "Just Black" - The logos match better. PS - I did POTA from Byers Lake this past summer... only 1 contact. Not a good location and very limited Wifi (if any). Keep your spirits high... GREAT video and Audio.

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

You’re not kidding brother, this winter has been very strange. My 9 years here, I’ve always had 2-3’ of snow in the yard in February if not more. I can see grass patches at the moment 😭. The tactisquatch is some good stuff! Depending where I was, I had one bar at the cabin but wasn’t reliable. Sean and Doug had nothing. The starlink came in handy. Thanks for watching my friend, 73

[@alvarogaitan2529]

thanks great job in these conditions 73 from kb2uew

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

@@alvarogaitan2529 Thank you my friend and thanks for watching, 73!

[@u2fanforever1]

Todays a home day and thought I'd sit down and do some hunting. Watched the first two minutes of your video, put POTA on hold and got a fresh coffee. You make good videos. Too bad about the antenna. 73 VE3DZO

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

Thanks my friend! Yeah the hex did suffer a broken spreader arm. We shall see if we can get the replacement parts. Thanks for watching my friend, 73

[@samforbes5270]

Spiderbeam makes some heavy duty masts for thier triband yagis. You should look into them for these sort of conditions. It could work with your hexbeam or support one of their heavy duty triband yagis that have some advantages over hexbeams. Just throwing that out there. Regardless thanks for the entertaining video OM. Here in Kansas we still had a few inches of snow on the ground from our blizzard 3 weeks prior, which made putting up antennas interesting.

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

Thanks my friend! We will look into the Spiderbeam! Thanks for watching, 73!

[@PrimulaCarniolica]

Great work and comrade team for all seasons Jeramy!! 👍I would seriously consider about much better quality (military) antenna mast or even better an aluminium telescopic mast of the same height. Most of the rest are good for summer time and no wind...😉 73,S51X

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

Thanks my friend! Yes, definitely a military mast. Shouldn’t be to hard to make an adaptor for the buddihex. Thanks for watching my friend, 73!

[@pinoyDXradio]

I do feel sorry for you guys what happened to the hexbeam. I love the jacket! As always very awesome video shared. Stay safe as always. Stay warm as always! PS will send you some coffee beans on your PH address. Be sure to let me know if you need a grinder and some filters.

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

@@pinoyDXradio wow thanks brother!!

[@Winstonsdad1956]

Enjoyed the new and improved video! I’m surprised you could fly the drone in the snow. Good Job!! KO4TXN. Oh, and you have cute kids!! 73

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

Thanks Steve! I still have a long way to go to where I want to be but I’m learning every time I’m editing or filming. As far as the drone goes, probably shouldn’t fly it in snow but it makes for better video 😆. Love my kiddos! Thanks for watching my friend, 73

[@CraigW5CBW]

Oh no! That is a disaster. Sorry brother. Looking forward to getting up there in July.

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

Thanks Craig! What part of Alaska are you visiting? Thanks for watching brother, 73

[@Kody10538]

Sorry to hear about the hex. Did one of the top guy lines let loose? That's the only way I can think of to make that thing fold over like that. Such a bummer! I like my mastwerks but I feel like they kept the system lightweight for folks wanting to travel with it. It would be nice if there were a heavier duty, stouter version available that allowed not only the full height deployment but also rigidity during poor weather.

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

Thanks brother! We think that snow came off the roof hitting the guy lines bending it enough to break there. Thanks for watching my friend, 73

[@Cliff-KI5OPP]

if you didnt make one contact you won winter field day in my book

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

@@Cliff-KI5OPP we made around 100 so not to bad but wish we could of got more! Thanks for watching my friend, 73!

[@johnleonardelli_VE3IPS]

You aint a real ham until you blow the finals or blow the antenna but with all that snow it was surprising the mast had bent

[@off-trailseeking3965]

Sorry for the equipment failure! Looks like just one section of the telescoping mast. Well......even a bad or challenging day playing radio is still better going to work. KD9MSP

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

Absolutely brother! Thanks for watching, 73

[@bwillan]

Hopefully it was only the mast of the buddihex that was damaged. That's an expensive antenna to have replace. This is what Winter Field day is about. Getting your comms station on the air in the most trying of conditions. 48" of snow in such a short amount of time may be everyday life in Alaska, but to the unprepared that could be a survival situation very easily. Many of the ham radio youtubers in the southern 48 states were all crying about the cold weather in their area. They should hang with the 3 of you. Well done, guys.

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

Thanks my friend! It also broke a spreader arm on the antenna itself. Yeah we’ve been acclimated to the weather here! Winter activations like this are my favorite to be in. Thanks for watching my friend, 73

[@TimZinza]

Hi. I enjoy your videos. I am looking at getting the FT-710. What size and type of battery are you using? Did you get it in AK? Thanks, Tim up in Fairbanks .

[@KL7ECoutdoors]

@@TimZinza thanks Tim! Look into the X2 lithium ion 35ah batterie at batteries plus! I have a 12ah and Sean uses the 35ah. If you’re going to use the 710 I would look more into the 35ah. Thanks for watching my friend, 73