[TowerTalk] Yagis and Rivets

[Pete Smith]

At 11:05 PM 3/15/00 CST, Brad Anbro wrote:
>
>Hi Dave; I don't know what manufacturer made ur "C3-S" but I can say
>from my personal experience with HyGain, and also to a lesser extent,
>CushCraft, I would'nt purchase ANY antenna that was put together w/
>rivets. I put up one of the newer Moseley antennas awhile back for a
>ham that is now deceased. Just by looking at the construction method
>of his antenna (w/ rivets) I knew that I didn't ever want an antenna
>that was put together using rivets.

Hi Brad -- I don't have your extensive experience, but from what I've seen
there is no reason to knock properly-installed pop-rivets in aluminum
antennas.  My riveted antennas (Force 12 makes them, and the C-3S, by the
way) have been up for 4 years so far, and show no signs of loosening
despite temperature-cycling from over 100 farenheit to well below zero and
a routinely-windy QTH.  To be sure I didn't rivet them in the sun at high
temperature and all tubing joints are Noaloxed.  Beats the heck out of
either metal-tapping screws or hose clamps.

It's hard to imagine that the FAA would permit pop-riveting of major
aircraft structures if this method was so suspect. 

73, Pete Smith N4ZR
n4zr@contesting.com 

Don't forget to update your entry on the World Contest Station Database, at
http://206.102.70.3/search.htm

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