Hi all;
I would strongly recommend replacing the factory balun with a Palomar 6KW
beam balun. After assembling over 12 of these antennas, these appear to
work best.
Bill KC4UZ
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Idelson" <k1ir@designet.com>
To: "TowerTalk Post" <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 28, 2002 10:11 AM
Subject: Re: [Towertalk] Used TH6 recommendations needed
> Resending in propoer format.
>
> Fujinaka-san,
>
> The TH6 is a great antenna! You should definitely try to use it. But
beware of a couple of things:
>
> 1. It's a big one for roof mounting . . . be careful of obstructions and
do your best to BALANCE the antenna at the boom to mast clamp. This will
make life much easier on your roof mount and rotor and it will make it
easier for you to install.
>
> 2. The U-bolts may not be easy to find locally in stainless steel. There
are several sources out there - I use a company called FARMTEK for some. See
http://farmtekcatalog.com/c/g8/p/fullpage.php?page=t272&session=1001992
right there on the page under Hog Brackets and Accessories. You can also
order replacement hardware from HyGain, but you will probably have to find
out the equivalent part number in today's TH7DXX manual, and you might have
to wait for delivery. Be flexible about the U-bolt sizes. Your trusty
electric hand drill may help you accommodate a slightly different U-bolt
that's easy to find. Oh, yes, when using stainless steel, be aware that the
nut and bolt can seize when tightened down. This is a common problem and
best remedied with "anti-seize" compound - easily available at your local
Home Depot. It is silvery paste, a bit messy, time consuming to apply, but
it is well worth the time and effort when you take that baby apart in a few
years.
>
> 3. Do you have the manual and all the dimensions? I'm sure you can find
an electronic version of the manual from a friend here on TowerTalk.
>
> 4. Those of us who have had experience with tribanders at lower heights
will tell you a few things. 1) The tribander at any height above 20 feet
will definitely work better than the vertical, and 2) there's a BIG
difference between 20, 30 and 40 feet. You really will do better at 30 or 40
than at 20 feet. Can you swap the TH6 with the quad? That would be cool, and
it wouldn't hurt the quad performance at all, 3) beware that when your
tribander is very close to the house, its performance may be affected by
metallic objects nearby, like inside wiring, metallic gutters, and
foil-covered insulation in the attic, and 4) RFI in the shack can be a big
problem when the antenna is that close. As the number of wavelengths between
the shack and the antenna decreases, you get into more and more trouble. To
deal with this, get the antenna as high as you can, use a balun on the
antenna [does the TH6 use a 4:1 balun?], and be prepared to do some RFI
reduction inside the shack. While these!
> suggestions definitely apply if you are running an amplifier, you can
still experience difficulties running barefoot. So, just beware!
>
> 5. This point should be noted FIRST. You might have electrical service
entering the house in the air on one of the corners. As you well know,
electrocution is never the goal, but occassionally the outcome. With such a
big antenna being waved around on the roof durning installation, that
service entry is a major concern. Be careful - real careful.
>
> Great antenna! Great deal! Use it well.
>
> 73,
>
> Jim Idelson K1IR
> email k1ir@designet.com
> web http://www.designet.com/k1ir
>
>
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