[NCC] Lesson learned- Force 12 C3E installation.

[Jamie Tolbert]

I bought a used F12 C3 with the 10M reflector kit still new in the box.
Around Sept., I assembled the ant on 2 sawhorses in the backyard. All went
well, including installing the bracket for the 10M reflector. Just about the
easiest ant I ever built. I popped all the rivets, except for the ones on
the driven elements in case I had to adjust them. ( OK if this ever happened
to you, you know were I am going with this). I couldn't check the SWR with
the antenna on the ground, so I lifted on to the roof and installed on the
hazer on my house bracketed 50' R25G tower. Checked the swr with my 259 and
it was great, with excellent bandwidth on 15M and 10M. I then worked 5A1A
and OD5NH on 10m, with the ant cranked down. I was ready to go !. Back on
the roof, popped the rivets and up she went. Things were great for about 5
weeks, then the swr on 20m shifted low ( about 13.890) The tuner handled it,
15 and 10 were still great and I never gave it a thought until last week
when after a night of 40mph wind gusts, I noticed the tip of the 20m driven
element neatly stuck in the front yard!. I had a chance to lower the ant and
my initial instinct was right. Apparently I had failed to pop the rivet on
that element. At least it was an easy repair, but a word to the wise: DOUBLE
CHECK YOUR WORK!
Since I had to do 1 side at a time ( lower again after rotating 180 deg) I
guess I just missed one! BTW, this ant works great; replaced an A3 and I can
tell you I hear things I never heard before and usually work everything I
hear with just 100 watts. Curious about what the 10M reflector does to the
pattern on 12m? Does it act like a director so pattern reversed? Also same
with 30m, this antenna loads nice on 30m and works about as well as my A3
did with the 30m add-on trap kit. Does the ant "see" the 20M reflector when
operated on 30M? Does it act like a director? Has anyone modeled this ant on
30m? Thanks for the bandwidth
 73, Jamie WW3S



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