Topband: Thoughts on making low resistance joints between aluminiumtubing sections?

[Roger Graves]

Hello,
Here a few km from the Pacific, aluminum joints are a problem. My  
KT34XA became junk after 8 years. It had been assembled with the  
factory supplied anticorrosion paste, but most of those small  
connections clamped with SS screws measured from hundreds of ohms to  
infinity when I took it down. My KW transmit power certainly did not  
clean the connections, On the east coast where I used to live, with  
those frequent east winds off the ocean, aluminum TV antennas were  
known to last only about 1 year, the 300 ohm copper twin lead would  
not last much longer even with the plastic insulation.

I have replaced the KT34XA with home built yagis that have no small  
joints, only conventional telescoping tubing. I used Noalox on all  
the telescoping tubing, clamped and then painted over the joints and  
clamps with liquid tape (liquid neoprene). We will see how this lasts.

73,
Rod VE7VV