Jerry: Three-thousand pound concrete is the compressive strength of the mix, in this case 3000 pounds per square inch of surface. Check out http://www.umeciv.maine.edu/cie111/concrete/strength.htm fo
Tom et al: I did the same thing with duct seal on my Cadweld one-shot molds. Apparently the ground rod was smaller diameter than half inch nominal and I blew the first charge. I cut off the top of th
Gil: Duct seal is that gray or black putty-like material that electricians use to close the ends of wall penetrations (where your electrical service enters your house, for example), or to seal the to
Wes: I've read on these pages before to wrap electrical tape on either side of the cut mark on the wire before you actually cut. This will keep the cut ends from fraying/unraveling. FWIW. 73 de Gene
Dan: At a minimum, be sure you include a drip loop on any coax entering from above through the PVC cap. A better choice (IMHO) is to install a 90-degree elbow, facing downward, on the outside, then s
TT: I agree with Phil and Tony regarding the use of exothermic welding over clamping for underground ground (?) connections. They are maintenance-free as compared to mechanical clamps that ought to b
Folks: Found this on E-bay this afternoon: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3056870941&ssPageName=MERC_VI . FWIW. 73 de Gene Smar AD3F ______________________________________________
TT: You can get Cadweld One-Shots also from RF Connections in MD (www.therfc.com ). My two cents. 73 de Gene Smar AD3F non-oxidizing compound between your ground clamp and the ground rod. This is ava
TT: I have seen similar performace differences on Topband between my shunt-fed tower with seven radials and my erstwhile 160M inverted L with a half-mile of radials (!) and the vertical element 45 fe
Jerry: Forget about loading that last leg of your L. Just string up the required 133 feet and let the last leg bend however necessary to get it into the space available. I did that with a 3/8 WL L a
Alan: An easier solution might be to install three sloper wires, one for each band. The issue then would be where to tap the tower for optimum performance (insert your own definition of optimum here)
Barry: Before you loosen the rotator u-bolts, consider adding a clamp above the top bearing. I wouldn't rely on the two set secrews in the TB-3 to support the vertical load of the mast and antennas w
Robin: Thanks for the info. The McMaster P/N I would need (9961K44) would cost me about $13, whereas the muffler clamps actually cost about $4 for a set. However, I'm sure the industrial version woul
Ted: I'd suggest talking with your concrete supplier. It's their business to know when you can or cannot pour. 73 de Gene Smar AD3F Weather Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 w
TT: FYI. I found this on the ARRL's web pages today: http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2003/12/05/1/?nc=1 . It includes a link to N1LO's summary of construction practices - the book many of us have h
TT: To help a bit in properly selecting a tower for your anticipated loads, Trylon have made available an on-line calculator at: http://www.trylon.com/lightdutytowers/towercalc.asp . Utilizing this s
Pete: Try Buckingham: http://www.buckinghammfg.com/ . They make industrial-quality equipment for linemen and arborists. N3RR and I have bought equipment from them. You might also try Klein Tools at h
Warren: I'm sure others on the list will provide their suggestions for the ground panel. Allow me to make additional suggestions for you to consider. The contractor ought to be able to install your g
Tom: Electrically it doesn't make a difference whether the wire's insulated or not. Mechanically, the insulation gives you a significant degree of protection against corrosion and eventual disappeara
Jim: 73 de Gene Smar AD3F off I never thought about it, and I haven't observed any degradation in performance of the solid vs stranded wires in my radial field. (not that I'd be able to tell anyway.)