There is something that happens to rookie cops a lot.
Every driver is a closet speeder, if you can catch them. Everyone
sitting in a parked car at night is up to no good, etc, etc...
It has to do with spending all their time dealing with traffic stops,
criminals and arrests. The problem comes when the rookie PROJECTS that
ratio of bad guys to good guys across the population. UNCONSCIOUSLY,
depression sets in because the world is a terrible place with nothing
but crooks in it. They have to conquer this projection to move on.
F12 is making those antennas hand over fist. C3SS and Z3's are the big
sellers. I can count the dropped piece accounts here (not to discount
them at all) on my fingers. F12 has what, ten thousand, twenty thousand
antennas out there? I have heard a lot more stories about F12 surviving
bad ice loads and springing back to original form.
There was a story about an elderly lady in a small town in upstate New
York, who, watching the New York City evening news about crime in the
street, would not go out any more because she was afraid.
It took a visit from the (only) part-time police officer to convince her
that there had been no street crime (or any other for that matter) in
the town for four decades, and it really was quite safe. (Why the cop?
Traffic and road rescue during tourist season, basically.)
Perspective, actual failure to total instance ratios, etc. No substitute
for them.
You are listening to a place that collects complaints. I personally know
some number of F12 owners. Not one instance of element drops among them.
I wouldn't rule out the possibility of element breakage, but it's NOT
the defining characteristic. If I was looking for the defining
characteristic of an F12 antenna, I'd say efficiency.
There IS the issue of installations in places where the wind blows every
day, all day, all night. Compared to Raleigh, NC, some of the shore
spots will get accumulated wind stress in a year that it would take a
half century to get around here.
It's like the salt air business. NOTHING stands forever against salt
air. You just get used to it. Maybe the same applies to constant wind
sites, absent special provisions for it. Further I would count high peak
strength (120 mph, etc) as a separate issue from 24/31/12 wind. The F12
sheds occasional high stress very well.
I'm not sure you can put a high peak design and a long-term constant
stress design in the same piece of metal. Perhaps what is needed is
element design MADE FOR having a rope in it. He'd have to design it, and
someone in a constant wind location would have to order that one, and
install the rope before it went up.
73, Guy.
(NO affiliation with F12.)
-----------------
Guy Olinger, K2AV
Apex, NC, USA
----- Original Message -----
From: <Jan.E.Holm@telia.se>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2001 12:55 AM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Re:rope in elements
> Someone is wrong here. Several people just did testify
> on this reflector that Force12 antennas will vibrate and
> drop element parts, I think I will beleive the stories
> from real life experience.
> Sure doesnt seem very safe to buy this Force12 stuff
>
> 73, Jim SM2EKM
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > > > What would be a suggested size rope to use on the
> > >>Force 12 C31?
> >
> > Natan, Force 12 reflector, posted just several minutes ago,
> > that putting rope inside Force 12 antenna elements will void
> > the warranty!! He says the antenna elements, taper, etc.
> > are designed so as to not want rope inside. Rope inside
> > will change the mechanical characteristics, perhaps leading
> > to breakage. Elements are already designed to not vibrate,
> > etc. under wind, nor break under heavy ice conditions. So,
> > do not put rope inside Force 12 elements -- they will know if
> > you try to make a claim after the rope might have caused
> > some problem!
> >
> > Just a word of caution, hi.
> >
> > 73, Jim, KH7M
> >
> > --
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