Better put your name on the waiting list now, Gary - in five years, there
still will be a long list of people wanting them. Mine's already been
through heavy ice and snow storms here in the Rocky Mountains, already
exceeded the "couple thousand changes in length", and when I want to ensure
the elements are the correct length, I just push the calibrate button. I
worked FT5XO yesterday by pressing the 180 button and going LP, when I
realized SP wasn't working. He answered my first call on 20 CW. Sure
saves on rotor wear and tear.
Cheers,
Joe
WDØM
At 10:10 AM 3/22/2005, garyejones@cmaaccess.com wrote:
>The real issue here, in my mind, (outside of the OM that lives on a
>saltwater island and had to replace his aluminum every year or two) is
>how long will the SteppIR elements hold up and how long the motor
>drives (the mechanics) will continue to accurately move the copper
>strips out and back. I wouldn't touch one until I heard how these
>elements are doing after five years vibrating 20 Hz in the wind,
>bending under ice loads, taking the blistering southern summers, and a
>couple of thousand changes of length. My hunch is that there will not
>be a single antenna working at 5 or 10 years, while there are many 30
>year old aluminum monobanders still "playing" like the day there were
>first erected......
>
> 73
>
> Gary W5FI
_______________________________________________
See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather
Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions
and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
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