[TowerTalk] Stealth Antenna - paint it black?

[K7GCO@aol.com]

In a message dated 12.02.00 18:56:19 Pacific Standard Time, w1nr@eecorp.com 
writes:.. To:   WA4TUF@aol.com, towertalk@contesting.com
  
 Battleship blue/gray works very well also.  I saw an installation
 where the tower, mast and antenna were all painted with ZRC
 cold galvanizing compound (a dull gray finish).  Blended into the
 hardwood trees real well.  If there are mostly evergreens around,
 then green camouflage marine paint used for duck boats would work
 well.  The basic rule of thumb is to match the most predominant
 color in the background with a similar flat finish.
 
 Mike, W1NR
 -----Original Message-----
 From: owner-towertalk@contesting.com
 [mailto:owner-towertalk@contesting.com]On Behalf Of WA4TUF@aol.com
 Sent: Friday, February 11, 2000 10:44 PM
 To: towertalk@contesting.com
 Subject: [TowerTalk] Stealth Antenna - paint it black?
       Continuing my search for an unobtrusive beam ... (C3SS clear winner so 
far)
 Highly reflective aluminum antennas stick out like a beacon especially at
 low heights. Black Hamsticks and black chain link fence disappear - lack 
 of color is no color.  Is there any reason you could not paint an assembled 
aluminum antenna with black spray paint? 
 WA4TUF Buck Fredericksburg, Va. USA
  >>
Finding a paint for a Stealth Antenna is a problem.  When I was in the Army 
at the Rocky Mr Arsenal in '54, we worked on things like that--mustard and G 
Nerve Gas.  Would you believe we actually developed a paint that reflected 
light that made things invisible.  We called the Pentagon and while a 
research group was on the way out--"some damn fool painted the can it was in 
and the Army hasn't been able to find it since."  I actually hid it and 
helped with the story as I wanted it for my antennas and have used it ever 
since.  That's an absolutely true story--I just made it up. 

There were so many toxic things made there and improperly disposed of, I saw 
on 60 Minutes where they put a fence around it and the wild life jumped the 
fence and took up residence there at Hotel Rocky Mt Arsenal NE of Denver.  
The Redfield Gun Sight Co there also improperly dumped their toxins and 
rather than to clean it up properly they closed the doors.  Toxins are going 
to be the main health problem of the human race the way things are going.  60 
Minutes had a bit on the gas additive that is in just about every cities 
water supply that can be smelled.  Smoking may be hazardous to your 
health--suddenly. Water is the most important thing needed for life and 10 
years ago only 1% of the water on earth was drinkable without a real 
cleaning--less now.  K7GCO

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