[TowerTalk] split locks vs star washers

[K7GCO@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/26/00 8:03:04 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
n4zr@contesting.com writes:

<< 
 Does anyone have any info on the relative merits of these two types of lock
 washers for electrical (specifically RF) connections.
 
 I just pulled apart my 80m array switchbox.  For years it had suffered from
 increasingly severe problems with received signal level on some of the
 antennas, and just recently two of the dipoles went dead completely on
 transmit or receive.
 
 This is one of those arrays that requires switching both the center
 conductors and the shields of each feedline.  When I got into the box, I
 discovered that all of the shield connections (by solder lug under one
 mounting bolt of each SO-239) were loose by a turn or more.  After
 tightening them up, and resoldering one center conductor that was totally
 disconnected, all the problems seem to be gone.
 
 For the shield connections, I used split lockwashers under each nut.  I
 just tried replacing one of them with a star washer, and my impression is
 that it "grabbed" much more positively.  Is this generally the case, and
 are star washers preferred for conductive connections?
 
 73, Pete Smith N4ZR
  >>
I've found SS split washers virtually useless.  The bolts virtually all 
loosened on my tower.  I now use Elastic Stop Nuts.  k7gco 

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