Michael S. McLaughlin wrote:
> Hi All,
> I want some opinions about remote caox switches for tower
> instalation.Got my tower finally
> getting ready to bye and out up in the next two months.I was looking
> at
> the ameritron rcs-8v for a remote switch but Im sure there are more
> but
> thats all I find in the catalogs that I have.I need to know if it is
> worth the price to install or should we go another rout here.I will
> need
> about 4 switches for what is going on the tower.Thanks all and see you
>
> on the airwaves,Mike
Hello Mike,
I have always preferred a positive action rotary switch for my antenna
switching to any collection of relays engineered to do the same job. It
is a more expensive way to go, but I spend no time worrying about what
happens if a relay burns up or the connection to a relay is broken while
I'm transmitting. With a rotary switch, you actuate the "turner" and
when it is on the right position all control voltage to the device is
removed until you need to switch to another antenna.
The original commercial version of the particular switch that I use was
designed for 20 meter "big guns" by W0MLY, who, incidentally was never
known for having a puny signal! I can remember talking to Dick and him
saying that if I ever blew up the switch he would take care of it. True
to his word, long after he had sold the business, he sent me a set of
new wafers for the switch when I needed them. I had successfully
managed to burn up a set of contacts by loading up on the "wrong"
antenna while running a considerable amount of power... :-) Cockpit
error. Not the fault of the switch. This was after about 15 years of
use, too. The refurbished switch, in its original water-tight box is
going back up the tower for what I hope will be another 15 years or more
of service this fall.
You might want to check out the current models of this switch now being
sold by
Antenna Mart
P. O. Box 699
8 Shiloh Drive
Loganville, GA 30249
Whatever you decide to do, I wish you luck and good DXing.
73,
Ken K4XL
grimm@alison.sbc.edu
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