Topband: TITANEX V160HD vertical

[john battin]

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Don Beattie<mailto:g3ozf at btinternet.com> 
  To: Topband at contesting.com<mailto:Topband at contesting.com> 
  Sent: Friday, February 18, 2005 10:40 AM
  Subject: Topband: TITANEX V160HD vertical


  I have one of these antennas in a windy hilltop location. It is guyed (as I don't have the courage to leave it up unguyed, as the spec suggests, in winds gusting up to 90 mph).

  My problem is that I am getting structural failure above the top guyed point. Up to the top guy (70ft) it is fine, but the wind stress on the remaining 20ft takes its toll in time, and fractures the top 20ft just above the top guying point. I conclude that this is because all the wind stress is taken there, and not progressively in the sections below the top guy as would be the case if the whole 90 ft was unguyed.

  I am considering two options:

  a) To put a fibre-glass fishing pole up the inside of the top 20 ft, to give it greater stiffness
  b) To give up and run unguyed.

  I have 20 such antennas in operation and also guy them except for the 80 meter antennas that are basically v160hd with the top sections removed. Early in the process I likewise had problems breaking the third tube just as it exited the fourth tube. (counting down from the top). The failures were related_to the rivet hole that is close to that junction. Titanex supplied a rework kit that replaced the double spacers with a long sleeve that moved the hole down and away from the stress point.
  I have had no problems since. I would not suggest running unguyed ... the top will bend near horizontal and whip like a flag in the wind  break for sure.
  John K9DX__________________________________________
  Topband mailing list
  Topband at contesting.com<mailto:Topband at contesting.com>
  http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/topband<http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/topband>