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Finally on Friday, November 18th
we made the foundation on the Kivesi hill for the Arusha
transmitter! Since the trouble with the existing antenna
started in August it had been decided the antenna has to
be replaced. The old antenna had been made of a chrome
plated iron tube, since an aluminium tube was not
available when we made it. It also was decided, that the
pipe carrying should replaced by an proper guyed antenna
mast. It had been ready now for about two weeks, and we
looked for a day with dry weather to bring it up the site. Since no building materials were
available at the site, we had to take everything with us.
So we loaded the car already the day before with bags of
cement and gravel. Of course the hooks for the guy wires
and the base were placed in the car as well. The car
carried the 4 lower segments of the mast on the carrier,
and we bought the cement needed in Arusha town, when we
distributed the new calendar to the book shops in town. When we arrived at Lucas, the
watchman’s site, the lorry with sand plastering the
transmitter hut has just arrived a well. So we could pay
the driver for it. Then we took all the materials
off the car and had to distribute the 210kg Sand, 170kg
gravel, 50 kg Cement and 100kg water on the porters! That
was a hard task, since everyone wanted the highest salary
with the lowest weight! We are so grateful Lukas helped
us with this task! Be fore we took off everyone got a
donate and a bottle Soda to get enough strength to carry
the 20 kg the steep trail up for 1 hour and about 30
minutes! Hen we arrived at the
transmitter hut Lukas had to note down what everybody was
carrying, because some made the trip even twice.
Everybody was glad about the peanuts and chocolate we
brought along. The boys found some fruits on one trees,
which helped us to reduce thirst. We had to dig the foundations
for the guy wires and the antenna mast itself with the
panga (bush knife). Big stones at the bottom increased
the weight. The concrete had been mixed and poured in the
prepared holes, after wetting the soil. Before we went down again, we
calculated how much it will be to pay all the porters,
and Lucas promised us, that he will keep all wet when he
returns to watch the site. In two weeks we want to erect
the antenna mast and fix he new antenna on top of it ! |
