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Re: [TowerTalk] Adding Expanding Foam inside boom

To: "towertalk@contesting.com" <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Adding Expanding Foam inside boom
From: Grant Saviers <grants2@pacbell.net>
Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2018 22:24:44 -0700
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
The use of fast spiral insulator wraps for wire catenary spans is interesting.

The principle of slow spiral wraps on cylinders is about reducing vortex shedding. The build up and separation of a vortex is what causes the cylinder to vibrate. Spiral wraps are done on all sorts of cylinders including tall cylindrical buildings. It doesn't take much of a spiral to reduce the vortex creation. OTOH, a larger element diameter means more wind load so for yagi antennas it may not be a good tradeoff.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vortex_shedding

Telrex put the rope inside for mechanical dampening and it was a 3 strand polypro in the TH7's I built. In boat anchoring, 3 strand is preferred for the anchor rode over braid since it stretches more and dissipates more energy in that process. That may apply to yagi element dampening but I think it is more the mechanical side to side motion that absorbs energy.

Parachute cord seems a bit small in diameter, I think what Telrex supplied was 1/4 or 3/8" and per the original manual were 2 ft long in the element ends and captivated by a cap plug over the fanned out rope fibers.

Grant KZ1W

On 4/26/2018 14:52 PM, jimlux wrote:
On 4/26/18 1:31 PM, Kimberly Elmore wrote:
In a similar vein, I'm helpingto rect an antenna in a relatively inaccessible location and want to minimize element vibration. I have no intention of tryingto fill each element with foam, but I've read that securing a rope inside the element will prevent resonant vibration from occurring. If this is true, will something like "parachute cord" do the trick? It won't be exposed to eather, so UV deteriorartion isn't an issue.


An even better way is to wrap the rope in a spiral on the outside. That kills the wind induced vibration very effectively. (you see this on car antennas).

doesn't even have to be the full length.


http://preformed.com/energy/distribution/motion-control/spiral-vibration-damper

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