PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-577
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 577
DECEMBER 2000
PS 577
51
DEC 00
PS 577
50
xplaining why your mast antenna is crumpled up on the ground is no way to
start a mission. The explanation is even harder when you find out the falling
antenna just missed your commander.
An antenna erected on soft ground, such as sand or shale, can collapse. Soft
ground does not hold guy stakes tight. One stiff breeze and down comes the
antenna and mast, then you’re looking for a hole to hide in.
But, there’s a way to strengthen the mast antenna—
even in soft ground. Use two guy stakes to anchor
each guy line. Drive the stakes deep into the ground
and tie them in tandem. This double-staking method
can handle more stress than a single stake. It in-
creases the holding power of the stakes and lessens
the risk of the antenna collapsing.
If you need extra guy stakes, you’ll find the NSNs
in the COMPONENTS OF END ITEM list in the
antenna’s -10 TM or parts manual.
Mast Antennas . . .
For those times you can’t remove
the cable, make sure the plug-in is se-
cured and not allowed to swing around
and make contact with metal. A solu-
tion as simple as a wrap of duct tape
around the connector end may prevent
metal-to-metal contact that will blow
the in-line fuse.
Also, remember that when the exter-
nal power cable is disconnected from
the PLGR, but still connected to the
vehicle’s power source, the tip of your
cable is still “hot” and you could get a
shock from touching it!
So when
you remove
the PLGR
from its
external
power
source after
your
mission is
complete,
remove the
cable, too.
A wrong grounding wire hookup can
cause the memory battery to get a
charge from the vehicle battery and ex-
plode. This happens when the memory
battery cap touches a grounded metal
object—like any part of the vehicle—
while the PLGR is connected to the
vehicle’s power.
Don’t
make
the
memory
battery
cap
your
ground
thanks
for the
tips
!
i'll remember
them.
i'm sorry
i almost
blew
my top
!
Double-stake each guy line
Don’t let it dangle
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