[TowerTalk] aluminum tubing

[K7GCO@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/21/00 4:59:06 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
w4pj@bellsouth.net writes:<< 
 
 Wes,
 You can   *** GET ***   a 204BA ???
 You must have a real good friend at
 Hy-Gain / MFJ.
 Please help me get MY order, OK?
 Placed the 1st week of November 1999.
 Scott R. Hotchkiss
 Ft. Lauderdale, FL
 
 "We must make the run successful from the cradle to the grave."    Johnny
 Cash
 
 ----- Original Message -----
 From: <n7ws@azstarnet.com>
 To: "John D. Farr" <johnfarr@ro.com>; "Steve" <ve3tu@rac.ca>;
 <towertalk@contesting.com>
 Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2000 1:08 AM
 Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] aluminum tubing
 
 >
 > At 08:38 PM 9/20/00 -0500, John D. Farr wrote:
 > >
 > >Steve: Check out http://www.onlinemetals.com/ . They have tubing in small
 > >quantities. I don't know how their prices compare per pound to what you
 have
 > >already found.
 > >John
 > >KC4ZXX
 >
 > They sure aren't cheaper than Texas Towers.
 >
 > Example:
 >
 > 1" OD, 0.058" wall  6061-T6  $3.53/foot at onlinemetals
 >
 > 1" OD, 0.058" wall  6063-T832  $1.10/foot at Texas Towers
 >
 > "Physical Design of Yagi Antennas"  says that both alloys are of
 > comparable yield strength ~ 35,000 lb/in^2.
 >
 > Unfortunately, even Texas Towers is too rich for my blood.  I was hoping
 to
 > HB a 4 or 5 element 20 meter beam.  I already have a suitable boom but
 just
 > pricing out the element material I come up with over $300 plus whatever it
 > would cost to ship by truck.  When a 204BA goes for under $500, it's hard
 > to justify building my own.  sigh..
 > >>

   The cost of even the cheapest aluminum elements described here show 
exactly what I have been saying for some time.  You can't afford to build 
your own beam not to mention the time required and the engineering required 
to equal or beat what is available today from most manufactures like Raibeam, 
M Squared, Antenna Mart and  a few others.  Buy a beam for your major use and 
you can be on the air almost immediately.  Use another tower for experimental 
antennas as they can take months.  Even if you know exactly what you want to 
do and how it will take longer than you think even in good weather and I have 
all the hardware, aluminum, a lathe and a mill.  K7GCO

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