You can 3D print using chocolate but that might not hold up well on a
warm day of if your antenna installer has a sweet tooth.
John KK9A
Grant Saviers KZ1W wrote:
The common personal printer FDM (Filament) printing has some properties
that make it not a good choice outdoor RF applications.
Filament printing is a bit porous layer to layer, so moisture ingress is
likely. Add to that that the infill is commonly a grid, so there are
big internal spaces for moisture. Solvent sealing can help with the
first issue and solid infill printing with the second, but that can take
a lot of print time.
The laser or UV solidification printing technology from liquid or powder
is claimed better for moisture absorption. Of course need a resin with
good RF properties. I have no experience with them but have printed a
some temporary outdoor use RF parts with my FDM printer.
There are lots of interesting FDM filaments available, new ones every
month, but it is hard to find RF properties for some of them. Some data
I've found shows large variations among suppliers, I think due to additives.
If new insulators need turned, I would suggest black acetal (Delrin) as
the material. Excellent mechanical properties and much nicer to machine
than PVC or ABS or UHMW. Costs more though.
Grant KZ1W
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