[TowerTalk] using end caps

[N2NU@aol.com]

Various endcap problems:

Don't use em:  You get all sorts of bug frass in the elements that ultimately clog em up and they get full with water.  Also they smell evil and are a mess to clean up if you ever rebuild the antenna. You also can get whistling in the wind

Use em:  They either pop off due to pressure changes and buildup inside the element, or they degrade and crack off due to uv exposure.

My current favorite is to use aluminum window screen formed around a slightly smaller piece of tubing, then shoved into the element or boom ends.  I fasten it with a dab of silicone sealant.  The element can breathe, they don't seem to fill with water and the bugs don't get in there.

Also, re rope.  If your elements are fairly tapered, they don't seem to vibrate too much.  Not a physicist, but maybe something to do with not resonating??