As many of our readers know, we have an ongoing project at our cabin on Vassfjellet. After an early site inspection a couple of months ago, we kicked off the season and have been steadily working to complete the remaining tasks. Since the project has been ongoing for some years now, we are working to finally finish the renovation this summer/fall.
Our first job was to finally raise the antenna mast we worked on last summer. Although the mast was finished and proven stable last year, we waited to install it permanently until we could attach guy-wires for extra stability. After measuring and cutting the wires from the mast’s previous setup, we secured them to existing anchor points from a previous installation by our cabin. With the guy-wires in place, the mast now stands tall and secure!
With the mast up for good, our next challenge was to prevent unauthorized people from trying to climb the mast. Inspired by similar setups from other masts, we used spare clapboard to cover the three sides of the mast structure, securing it with cut 2x4s for support from behind. We also added a temporary warning sign as a placeholder for a better one in the future.
Thanks to having quite a bit of leftover wood from the renovation, we decided to build a small terrace on the side of the cabin. While not essential, we hope it will be a pleasant addition for the many hikers who pass by Vassfjellet. Our plan includes permanent benches so visitors can rest and enjoy the scenic view of Trondheim. Currently, we’ve only put up parts of the the supporting structure, because we are waiting for the concrete from the pilars to finally set. We have more ideas for this area, so stay tuned for future updates!
One improvement on our to-do list was the LA2VHF antenna. The previous full-sized Yagi antenna, once strapped to a bunk bed inside the cabin, was damaged during the initial cabin cleanup and thus we decided to build a new one. The new antenna consists of parts from old yagis, but this time with 3D-printed spacers between the reflector- and directors, so the parts are more easily available.
The initial plan was to mount this new antenna up in the attic space between the roof and inner cabin. However, this proved difficult to accomplish; the antenna was far too near the metal roofing causing the SWR readings to be skewed compared to open air testing. Since this most likely meant the antenna would perform poorly, we have decided to mount the antenna below the ceiling, instead. We plan to mount it by screwing it directly to the ceiling, which is an upgrade to the previous antenna which needed a support mast.
We have also tackled the cabin’s interior walls, which were just bare OSB-material looking quite temporary. After priming and painting them white, the cabin feels much brighter and a bit more pleasant to work in. Having the walls finished also allowed us to start mounting permanent shelves and tool boards, clearing the clutter and mess which has previously been on the floor.
We will continue to work on the cabin, and aim to have the beacons mounted by the end of summer, potentially early fall.
That’s it for this quick update—stay tuned for more progress!
Wonderful. Keep up the good work.