[TowerTalk] Frozen aluminum

[K7GCO@aol.com]

In a message dated 13.06.00 13:02:46 Pacific Daylight Time, jerry@rchco.com 
writes:

<< 
 I've had a ten year old 204BA in storage outside for about 15 years...
 The elements are "frozen" together at the telescoping connections.Deox
 was not common back when they were put together... none was used.
 Tried everything... can't get them apart!
 Would elements in this condition still have good RF continuity and be
 used as is?
 thanks in advance
 jerry k7xx >>

No. Solder the junction with the flea market solder and a Burnsamatic torch.  
You can pound the connection with a hammer and it will enlarge the outer 
tube.  Then you have to file off the aluminum oxide and use a rotary steel 
brush to clean the inside.  I had some joints that had been together for 40 
years I got from a friend.  I used a jack hammer technique and a lot of time 
to get them apart.  The inside aluminum tubing diameter increased .015" from 
the "Dreaded Alumitoid Yagititus" build up.  It was really a compression fit 
requiring special procedures to get them apart and not damaging them.  It was 
a capacitance joint with no DC connection.  This is one reason I like quads.  
One soldered ZERO resistance joint for the life of the antenna--no electrical 
deterioration of the antenna performance.

One 3 element 20 M sample yagi in a Antenna software had over 50 telescoping 
joints requiring over 100 SS clamps.  It was the "All Time Dumbest Yagi 
Design" I've sever seen in over 64 years.  It could have over 50 capacitive 
joints in it in time.   K7GCO 

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