| See below.
Stan
Sent from Stan's IPhone
> On Aug 13, 2015, at 10:21 AM, Michael Tope <W4EF@ca.rr.com> wrote:
> 
> Stan,
> 
> A couple of questions:
> 
> 1) Does the counterbore go all the way through the one wall of the outer 
> diameter piece?
Yes
> 
> 2) Is the clearance between the counterbore diameter and the cap screw head 
> diameter critical?
Not very critical but you don't want a huge hole for the head of a #8 socket 
head cap screw.  Just enough so it passes by the OD on the side where you 
insert it.  The drill bits do a perfect job.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Mike W4EF................
> 
>> On 8/13/2015 6:53 AM, Stan Stockton wrote:
>> After about 40 years of making my own antennas I learned something a few 
>> years ago when faced with assembling 65 tribanders (520 elements) we made 
>> for WRTC2014.
>> 
>> I was introduced to the element joint attachment method I am told is used by 
>> Optibeam.  I was skeptical when I heard the verbal description, having 
>> settled on pop rivets after every other conceivable method about 20 years 
>> ago.
>> 
>> I made one element with pop rivets and another with a single stainless steel 
>> socket head cap screw with a counterbore (head clearance on socket head 
>> screw) for one wall of the larger diameter tubing for each joint, then 
>> grabbed each one in the center and violently shook them back and forth.  The 
>> one with SHCS joints felt like one solid piece of tubing as compared to the 
>> pop riveted one.
>> 
>> It is so easy and so solid, I will never mess with pop rivets again.
>> 
>> A V block fixture with stops, drill press and some of these bits along with 
>> straight bits for the smaller diameter tube drilling are all that is needed.
>> 
>>  http://www.wttool.com/index/page/category/category_id/14686/
>> 
>> make the job easy in comparison to many methods.  The counterbore is 
>> important.  Use stainless nylock nuts.
>> 
>> YMMV but I'm sold on it.
>> 
>> 73...Stan, K5GO
>> 
>> Sent from Stan's IPhone
> 
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