Towertalk
[Top] [All Lists]

[TowerTalk] KLM KT34-XA Refurbishing

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] KLM KT34-XA Refurbishing
From: K3AIR@aol.com (K3AIR@aol.com)
Date: Thu, 22 Oct 1998 00:10:11 EDT
In a message dated 10/21/98 2:11:56 PM EST, Chad_Kurszewski@csg.mot.com
writes:

> 
>  But I'm a ham.  I enjoy doing work and not spending money.

YES!  That's part of the fun (as well as learning something about this
stuff)!!!

>  
>  I bought a pair of XA's for $450 total.  I also spent $92 in replacement
>  parts, for a new total of $542.  A pair of new antennas would have run
>  me $1582 for a difference of $1040.
>  
>  I timed myself as to how long it took me to refurb the antenna.  Each
>  triband element took 2 hours, times 5 elements, times 2 antennas = 20
hours.
>  Add in a couple more hours for final assembly and tuning = 24 hours.
>  
>  $1040 saved divided by 24 hours = $43.33/hr
>  
>  I'm sorry, but I don't make $43/hr.  It would have been worth taking
>  3 days off of work...I would have still "saved" $500 even after the
>  lost wages!!!
>  
Since you're not making the big bucks, guess you aren't a lawyer <g>.

I also bought my 34XA used.  I took it apart, cleaned up all the connections,
and reassembled it, looking for anything that showed signs of significant wear
or deterioration.   The replacement parts I did buy were about $50.  After
reassembly, the SWR curves were remarkably close to those in the manual.
The antenna has worked great ever since (about 3 years now).  Well worth
the hours expended.

73, Mike K3AIR
 

--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-towertalk@contesting.com
Search:                   http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>