[TowerTalk] Re: TEK screws was:Silver Solder

[Al Williams]

I hiope that what 'they' say is true--no question is too dumb to ask.

What is the pop in a pop rivet?  My little experience was years ago
watching riveters on airplanes at Boeing.  Each riveting was a team
effort consisting of a riveter and a bucker using a bucking bar which
acted as an inertia against the rivet.  How does one do that in a
long aluminun tubing element?

k7puc
-----Original Message-----
From: Pete Smith <n4zr@contesting.com>
To: towertalk@contesting.com <towertalk@contesting.com>
Date: Thursday, January 27, 2000 9:32 AM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Re: TEK screws was:Silver Solder


>
>At 11:57 AM 1/27/2000 EST, K7LXC@aol.com wrote:
>...
>
>>      If I want redundant mechanical security for an aluminum tubing
antenna
>>joint, I use a self-tapping TEK screw to further join them. It adds
>>additional mechanical AND electrical coupling. This is a simpler, cheaper
>and
>>more benign technique than sweating a solder joint on aluminum tubing. I
>>wouldn't trust the average ham to get an aluminum solder connection right.
A
>>TEK screw, OTOH, is a slam-dunk for anyone. (Yes, this is a stress riser
as
>>well but a pretty small one. If you're going to use it on an element, use
a
>>small TEK screw <smaller hole - less stress> or put the screw on the
bottom
>>of the element where the stresses are less.)
>
>Just one cautionary note, not for Steve but for those less experienced --
>TEK screws require careful attention to the size of the hole.  I used some
>to re-attach the reflector on my C-3 to the boom, and thought the holes
>from the big pop rivets I was replacing would do, since the screws
>tightened down nicely.  In about a month, however, the screws worked loose
>and my reflector wound up in the top of a tree.
>
>For elements, wouldn't a pop rivet achieve essentially the same mechanical
>and electrical results, particularly if noaloxed before pulling?
>
>73,  Pete N4ZR
>
>Don't forget to update your entry in the World Contest Station Database
>http://206.102.70.3/search.htm
>
>
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>


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