So, while talking with good friend Drew W2OU this evening, I have decided to be proactive. The only thing that I am sure of, is that I'm not sure of anything at this point. What I definitely know is that my neighbors want to remove the oak tree from their front yard. The maple in the back "may" have carpenter ant damage. Or it may not. The tree specialist that they are hiring will look and make a determination whether to just "top" the tree (trim it back) or make it go bye-bye.
I am going to assume the worst case scenario and will assume "bye-bye". With that outcome in mind, I am going to go to Home Depot some time this weekend and will buy one of their big five gallon paint buckets and some Sakrete.
I will dig a hole in the back corner of the backyard, big enough and deep enough to hold the paint bucket even with ground level. The bucket itself will be filled with Sakrete and will anchor one section of the military surplus aluminum masting that I have. This will serve as my base. It will be there, ready to accept another 25-30 feet (8-10 meters) of masting, if and when the maple disappears. Should the maple stay, then all I will have is a piece of pipe sticking out of the ground in the extreme corner of my backyard, where it will hurt no one.
In either case, I will be ready to either return my wire back into the topped tree; or hook it up to the 30 foot (10 Meter) mast as quickly as possible, before the weather turns miserable for Winter.
Sounds like a plan; and I feel better when I have a plan.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least
Why in the world do you need a bucket? Just dig a hole and put the concrete in the hole.
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