[TowerTalk] Opinions please--re: 40-2CD compared to XM-240

[Bill Hider]

I upgraded both of my 40-2CDs to (++) per the W6QHS articles,  which may be
found at:
http://www.qsl.net/w6old/402cd.html

In addition to the QHS++ modifications, I added a *thin* galvanized steel
insert in the boom center and at the element tips.
With the steel insert in the center, I do not need a boom strut with my TIC
Ring Rotors for the 40-2CDs. A mast-mounted
antenna would also not need the boom strut.

I found that the redrilling of the coil connection screw is necessary only
if the factory shrink-wrap is incomplete, as it was on one of my
40-2CDs.  However, on my other one, all I did was obtain some large diameter
3M shrink-wrap and add that shrink-wrap on top of the
factory shrink-wrap to ensure that the entire coil/screw unit was totally
covered.  Then, I heated the shrink-wrap so that it shrunk tight to the
aluminum tubing.

I tune all my antennas to CW and suffer any degradation on SSB. (We
contesters who love CW tend to do that).  If you tune
an antenna for SSB, you more than "suffer" on CW, the physics doesn't work
that way!  ;-)

Check out the design of a competitive contest antenna system:
www.erols.com/n3rr

Bill, N3RR



----- Original Message -----
From: <n4kg@juno.com>
To: <TOWERTALK@contesting.com>; <qcs0041@lexcominc.net>
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2001 6:16 AM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Opinions please--re: 40-2CD compared to XM-240


> You need to read the W6QHS (now W6NL)
> article in QST on refurbishing the 402CD.

>
> QHS also recommended removing the self tapping screws
> in the loading coils and replacing them with Stainless Steel
> screws with nuts and lock washers.  I did not do this but
> I know several people have reported problems with the original
> screws.

> K7LXC recommends tuning the elements somewhere between
> the CW and MID settings for slightly better bandwidth / performance
> on SSB.



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