TT:
FWIW - The Bencher Skyhawk I installed last year required no such
prework prior to assembly. The element tubing slipped together without
catching on burrs and the rivets dropped into their pre-drilled holes
without my having to redrill a one. The boom-to-mast assembly is actually
two separate aluminum plates (a' la F12): one plate bolts to the mast, the
other to the boom. During installation on the tower, the boom plate slips
over bolts on the mast plate. No three-handed u-bolt handling required. I
just checked the assembly manual, but these plates aren't dimensioned. From
what I recall, they were both substantial in thickness - possibly 3/16
minimum.
I will admit that the Skyhawk hasn't really been stressed by severe
winds around these parts(D.C. area.) But all the elements and the boom
tubing are double walled. There's significant overlap between telescoping
tubing sections. Seems pretty robust to me (the darned thing weighs 75
pounds!)
73 de
Gene Smar AD3F
-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Miller <bruce@epocs.com>
To: towertalk@contesting.com <towertalk@contesting.com>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Date: Thursday, December 05, 2002 10:31 AM
Subject: [Towertalk] Failing Antennas
>I'd be willing to bet that all antenna manufacturers cut corners in all
>their processes in order to bring to market a product the consumer will
>probably purchase at a price they will probably pay. I own a Mosley
>antenna and an M2 antenna because my good friend in the midwest had a
>Force 12 break apart as a result of a storm. I know from personal
>experience he's excellent at antenna assembly and installation, leaving
>the cause of his failure on the mechanics (or lack of) of the antenna.
>Even so, the first thing I had to do as I unpacked my new antennas was
>to remove all burrs with a file and burr quick, then laser cut from
>3/16" thick stainless steel, new boom to mast mounting plates to replace
>the cheesy aluminum one provided. Deburring parts costs labor dollars
>and a stainless boom to mast plate would add another few of bucks to the
>antenna selling price. In other words, I tried to put back into the
>product some pride of workmanship the manufacturer was unwilling to do
>in the first place. We, as antenna consumers, get what we pay for, and
>we're the ones demanding that manufacturers cut corners so closely that
>the antennas on the market stand a 50/50 chance of providing the service
>we expect. My $.02 worth.
>Bruce Miller, AA5BH
>
>
>_______________________________________________
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