[Antennas] Roosting birds

Mon Nov 14 09:45:14 EST 2005

de WB2CPN
My friend, N2AUS, in New Jersey had a problem with
medium sized birds parking on his Cushcraft beam antenna.
The main problem wasn't the weight, the elements could
stand that. What broke the elements was that when the
birds became scared they would all depart at the same
time. Newton's Laws, and a couple dozen of three
pound birds, gave quiet a kick to the elements. He gave
up trying to rehabilitate the birds, but he did machine a
stronger center piece where the elements connect to
the boom. People here in South Central PA often
use the owls on the counterpoises hi and low band
commercial verticals. I never see any birds there.
73 Clete