Rogues Gallery

Paul found this, but unfortunately he didn't have a decent camera with him. Nevertheless it was too splendid an example of aerial rigging botchery to pass over. The top photograph, therefore, is a reconstruction. The other three were taken on site.

It appears that the installer had a problem. The roof overhang demanded that the mast be positioned some distance from the wall. The only proper way to do this is with a 'stand-off' bracket pair, either &K' or the 'tripod' type.

For very light loads fixed not very high up there is a cheap alternative, the cranked mast. This is a mast with two bends in it. It looks as if our man has found himself with a 3ft x 1 inch cranked mast in his van, and nothing better. Unfortunately this item does not have enough 'crank'-or enough height-for his purpose. The height problem is easily solved by this resourceful engineer. A 6ft x 1 inch straight mast is fixed to the top of the 3ft crank! This is remarkable enough in itself, but what follows is a truly spectacular example of the botchers' art. In order to set the mast further from the wall, two fascia brackets have been bolted together nose to nose in what I can only describe as a remarkably innovative manner. The whole thing must have been very, very flexible in the short period that elapsed between installation and collapse. The job is topped off with one of those ghastly pseudo-high gain aerials with a birdcage fixed to the back that are becoming so popular.
I wonder why this installer didn't fix to the wooden fascia at the front of the house. That wouldn't have been a good thing to do, but it would have been much better than this mess.

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