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Re: [TowerTalk] Skyhawks on TIC Rings?

To: Towertalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Skyhawks on TIC Rings?
From: Tony Brock-Fisher via TowerTalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
Reply-to: Tony Brock-Fisher <barockteer@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2019 21:54:24 -0500
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
When working, the KT36-XA is a great antenna. I believe that compared other tribanders on a 32' boom, they are the highest performing antenna you can find. Unlike interlaced tribanders, the XA uses all of the boom length on all bands, and forward gain is related to boom length, not the number of elements.

The trouble with the KT antennas is that they are not reliable. Despite the tremendous mechanical improvements from the M2 revision, water still gets into the capacitors, resulting in skyrocketing SWR or arcing at high power.

I've owned, loved, rebuilt, and hated the KT antennas for over 30 years. I've made several experimental modifications. I started a user group for them, KTantennas@yahoo.com. I have been successful in keeping the bugs and debris out of the tubing, but the antenna still fails from moisture getting in. And once the capacitors get wet, they do not dry out by themselves, and the antenna must be taken down and rebuilt.

My last experiment was an attempt to hermetically seal the antenna. I posted a detailed description of this experiment to the KTantennas group. This worked for 3 years, but recently failed with typical high SWR and high power issues. This is the second time that the XA has failed during  a contest season, forcing me to use my 2-element quad 'multiplier' antenna as the main (and only) antenna on the high bands.

So after 30+ years of trying to make this great design reliable for many years of service, I am forced to face the conclusion that finding a way to give it environmental longevity  is beyond my technical ability.

Therefore I too will be replacing a KT36-XA with a Skyhawk next spring when antenna weather returns. I know I am giving up a db or two in forward gain, but hopefully the Skyhawk, with no traps, will be able to give me long term service. The reviews all seem to support this vision.

A 'good' antenna  that works is far better than the 'best' antenna that doesn't.

-Tony, K1KP


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