Sabotage: The Aftermath

It has been three weeks since our high site was sabotaged. And it's been weeks filled with a lot of very hard work. We initially thought we'd caught all the damage, replaced the cables and battery - and then fired up the high site.

Problem - the electronics were playing up. The more we checked, the more issues we found. And the more trips up the side of the mountain were required.

Of course, the Cape being the Cape, and it being winter and all, the weather closed in with a massive storm in the meantime. As is the habit with the things on the mountain, the wind takes out the dead and the dying. Meaning that Favourite Man and The Kid didn't quite make it to the site before their way was blocked by a large fallen tree! Two days and three icy-cold freezing-rain trips later, the tree was cleared... and the equipment off the mountain.

No, we didn't give up - but we did need to test it thoroughly in an environment that didn't mean clinging to the top of a tower in a howling gale. Though those who tried to put us out of business are probably rejoicing at the lack of antennas up there, thinking they've won :-) Not for long.

In the background we've been working on an insurance claim (BIG up to Outsurance Business for assessing and paying out within 2 days flat), replacing damaged items and comprehensively testing those that seemed OK, then working at getting our network up and running completely again.

It's still a work in progress. Today, while the weather holds, Favourite Man and The Kid are on a rooftop aiming antennas at places and working through electrics / electronics. We've replaced a pole taken out by a gale-force wind recently and decided to do our own crimping (who has ever heard of properly-crimped connectors simply falling off!?!). Tomorrow sees us back up the mountain to restore order.

We're definitely not out of the running - we're not going to go quietly nor are we going to give up. We may have had to deal with a speedbump, but we're not slowing down.