[CQ-Contest] antenna irregularity noticed

[k3bu at optimum.net]

Hi Rick,Isn't there insulator - spacer midway?Maybe deteriorated, contamination causing resistance - heating?Yuri, K3BU.uswww.MVmanor.com> Hi all..this is probably the best place to air this one....I > took down a KLM> 4 el 40m linear-loaded antenna today to repair the reflector > that had been> damaged in last winter's ice storm...when I got it to the ground > I noticed> that the aluminum strapping that is used to feed the front > driven element to> the rear driven element showed signs of some sort of heating in > the middle> 12 inches...before some one says I am using too much power...the > antenna has> never been driven with more than 1500 watts...I replaced the > original KLM> 4:1 balun with one made of coax a few years ago...has anyone > else seen the> heating in the crossover strap as I am seeing? This has really > gotten my> curiosity up to say the least...we have problems here with > buzzards sitting> on the antennas from time to time, but I didn't find one dead at > the base of> the tower...unless of course his buddies carried him off after > he was> sufficiently warmed up!> > So warm buzzard? Heat from unknown source? Some sort of chemical > reaction?Could the phasing straps have shorted out and caused > the heating??> > I await the replies..de Rick NQ4I> _______________________________________________> CQ-Contest mailing list> CQ-Contest at contesting.com> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest>