Jon:
Go to your local hobby shop and pick up some fiberglass and some 30 minute
or slow cure epoxy. You may want to ruff up your antenna fiberglass with
some sandpaper. Wrap the fiberglass around the joint your going to repair
and then soak the fiberglass with epoxy (you can paint it on with a small
disposable brush). You may want to cut the epoxy with a little bit of
dentured alcohol so it won't be so thick. Should work like a champ.
If you wrap the fiberglass neatly and apply the epoxy neatly you should be
able to sand it, if you want, to make a smooth finish. You can then paint
it, if needed.
I use this technique on my R/C airplanes all the time. Works like a champ
and is very strong.
By the way I'm qrv on 50mhz on R/C. Theres always propagation to my
airplanes :-).
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jon Ogden" <na9d@speakeasy.net>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2002 11:48 PM
Subject: [Towertalk] Repairing Fiberglass Verticals
> Hi gang,
>
> Today while picking up my repaired FT-1000D at AES, I came across a couple
> of steals at their surplus or "honor" table. Both were antennas. One was
a
> Cushcraft 19 element 432 Yagi (719B) that I picked up for $25. Not bad.
> The other was a Comet GP-9 2m/432 vertical. That I got for $5.00.
>
> Upon looking at the Comet antenna this evening I found out why it was
$5.00.
> The body of the antenna is fiberglass tube with a wire element running up
> the "tube". It comes in three sections and is simply a monster (something
> like 17 feet in total length). The very top section is broken about 3 or
4
> inches from the top. I have all the pieces and it looks like I could get
> them back together w/o too much trouble. The top section is also cracked
a
> bit too. The other parts of the antenna are in fine shape.
>
> So what is the best way to repair this guy? A new one would cost about
$200
> so it's worth it to try whatever if I get a working antenna. Would I be
> better off contacting Comet to see if they can sell me a new upper
section?
> Or can I epoxy the pieces back together, etc. I am just wondering what
the
> best way to do that is. Am I going to suffer any problems with strenght,
> etc?
>
> Thanks es 73,
>
> Jon
> NA9D
>
> -------------------------------------
> Jon Ogden
> NA9D (ex: KE9NA)
>
> Life Member: ARRL, NRA
> Member: AMSAT, DXCC
>
> http://www.qsl.net/ke9na
>
> "A life lived in fear is a life half lived."
>
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