Rick, N4HU came over and we fixed the KT-34XA reflector using the later 36XA
aluminum. The hole in the 36XA 1x72" did not match the and the help Dan N4GNR
gave me helped get the correct holes
drilled. The only thing I worry about is the old element had a steel support
pipe inside the end of the element where it joins the mast and the M2 aluminum
does not. I am still working on tree removal (trees grow towers don't) and
waiting on a tower expert to secure the coax. I had cut a piece of aluminum a
foot long into two pieces that I may out around the element as it can still be
reached from the roof. I remembered the beams made in Miami years ago that had
a wood dowel inside for support but decided against this fix.
With the tower at 40 feet the SWR is good:
14.175 1.2 to 1
21.300 1.3 to 1
28.450 1.15 to 1
I decided against converting the beam to a KT-36XA due to the hours of work
involved. The blue insulators that I installed in 2007 still look new.
73 Dave K4JRB
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