>From: "DavidC" <davidc@bit-net.com>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
>Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1998 11:31:03 -0400
>
>> >This occurred to me to ask after reading about taping the end
>> >caps: Why don't we just crimp the end tips closed?
>> >What's the problem with doing that?
>> > Dale L. Martin kg5u@hal-pc.org
>> If we are talking about the cap at the very end of the
>> element, there may be a good reason not to crimp them. The
>> plastic cap (if it covers the end of the element) prevents
>> exposure of the sharp (relative term) edges of the end of the
>> element from becoming formation sites for corona streamers.
>> Even if the corona noise isn't a concern because you plan not
>> to be using the antenna in high potential fields, it is not a
>> good idea to attract lightning to the end of an element that
>> has traps in it.
>> 73, Eric N7CL
AF1AA writes:
>If I may kibitz, how about if one crimps the ends (may require
>some adjusting of the element length to maintain resonance) then
>dip the end in the liquid rubber one may get for coating the
>handles of small tools?
That would mitigate the corona formation. But it would not let
water escape from the end of the element. IMHO, the end of the
element is the _best_ place from which to let water drain. So we
need some kind of treatment for the end of the element that
discourages corona formation and lets water drip out the end of
the element. A UV resistant plastic cap with provision for
appropriate water drainige is hard to beat for this job.
>
>BTW: What about the open ends of the 3" heavy duty boom of a KLM
>KT34XA (and similar)? Are folks covering these with screen or
>something? Seems an obvious place for heavy ice and snow
>buildup in the Winter ... and for lots of birds and bugs to see
>as a wonderful nesting place in the Summer. 73, DavidC AA1FA
I haven't studied boom end treatment in detail yet. I will be
doing so this fall/winter when I put up the antenna farm here at
the new QTH. I agree that something needs to be done to prevent
the boom from becoming habitat. The boom probably ought to have
weep holes at the appropriate (lowest) places along the bottom
edge to permit efficeint drainage.
73, Eric N7CL
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