[TowerTalk] new KLM paste

[Dennis Schaefer]

At 08:12 PM 5/29/97 -0500, Hawkins, Bill wrote:
>At 11:32 AM 5/29/97 -0700, you wrote:
>>In putting together some new-out-of-the-box KLM beams recently for W6EEN, I
>>noticed that the conductive paste they now supply is different than before.
>>I recall that their older stuff for many years was the coppery-looking stuff
>>(which I never liked... in my experience it actually ENHANCED the corrosive
>>process around the s.s. studs and aluminum straps, especially near
>>saltwater).
>
>A couple of months ago on another Noalox thread, I posted the same
information.
>I received a couple of replies that indicated they thought I was out of my
mind.
>What can I say. The kt34a quit working after about a year. I cleaned the
>stuff off, used Noalox, and then ss screws. No problems since (4 or 5
years). 
>I live about 100 yards from Gulf of Mexico and salt affects EVERYTHING.
>You should see all the arcing on the power line equipment at night after a 
>good south wind. Yep, it's a killer line noise. Pray for a rain.
>
>Bill W5EC 

Bill,
I'm taking apart a couple of older KT-34A's and the joints are terrible.
The paste is dry, thick, and gritty.  There is a high resistance between
many of the  pieces of tubing.  Some of them will not come apart at all.
I think someone used too much.

Also rehabbing an old 3 el trap beam of undetermined origin for Field Day,
and it has the same problem.  

I think people must use too much of the stuff - I always applied Penetrox
very lightly to anything I put together and never had anything come apart
looking like this!

73,
Dennis


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