[TowerTalk] Butternut problems

[Lee Buller]

At 07:55 PM 3/16/98 +0000, you wrote:
>It seems like I get one problem solved, and another one pops back up! 
>On my Butternut vertical, the center conductor of the matching coax 
>is attached directly to the antenna via a screw terminal. My problem 
>is: the center conductor "rips" away, making that section unusable. 
>This happens about every 2-3 weeks. Can anyone offer a suggestion as 
>to how to stop this? 
>
>
>
>Thanks,
>Cedrick-N9YXA

Yep...that is a common thing that happens to the Butternut verticles...which
I like a lot...especially on 40 meters....with a good elevated ground plane.

Here is what I did.

I took a piece of aluminum (1 /12" by about 4") and bent it around the
ground side of the antenna and then used the bolt and nut that attached the
ground side of the antenna to the insulator to mount it.  I then took it off
and mounted a SO-239 in the alumuminum.  I then measured remade the matching
section of RG-11 and place PL259 connectors on both ends.  I took a small
amount of #18 wire and soldered a lug on one end...and then attached that to
the screw terminal to feed the verticle and soldered the other end to the
center pin of the SO-239.  

I also installed a grounding clamp on the the piece of aluminum where I can
attached the grounding connections.

Works like a champ.  SWR good as indicated by the manual.  Proof...  FD
scores last year for N0NK.  #1 3-A Commerical.  It ran on 40 meters CW all
night long.

Lee Buller
k0wa@soutnwind.net


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