[Towertalk] 40 meter antenna results

[K7LXC@aol.com]

In a message dated 4/6/02 5:20:15 PM Pacific Daylight Time, k1my@msn.com 
writes:

> Telrex        but it must be rebuilt before you use it, in original design
>  it is junk, bad design, it breaks-pieces fall off, electrically it is a 
very
>  poor design and the balun doesn't work

    I agree. This is a classic old-style design - i.e. built like a brick 
outhouse - which has some inherent problems.

    The new paradigm ala' Force 12 is "to bend like a willow instead of 
breaking like an oak" makes more sense IMO. 
>  
>  DX Engineering 3 element     1 vote

    Turns out that Bill never modeled his monobanders and as a result they 
looked great but didn't play very well. If you can find one or want to build 
one of your own, do your own modeling for best performance. 
>  
>  KLM 4 element         I have 1 in a box I can sell you
>  
>  KLM  4 element        not recommended
>  
    A big, fragile antenna. I had one and it broke every winter necessitating 
repair every summer. A big hassle to get up and down the tower. I bought a 
402CD to replace and have never felt like I gave anything away plus the CC is 
much more reliable. Be sure to use the Secret LXC Dimensions with it. 

>  Force 12 340N       2 element version
>  
>  Force 12 340N       3 votes    delivery problems though (promises not kept)
>  
>  Force 12     not recommended, loading wires break (I wonder, was this an
>  older design?)

    They work fine but I've never had a F12 linear loaded antenna owner tell 
me that he was ecstatic about its performance; it's okay - just not 
outstanding. 
>  
>  M2 40M4L        2 votes
>                             good mechanically in Michigan ice/wind
>                             30% less expensive than Force 12 340N
>  
>  Cushcraft 402CD    (XM240?)
>  
>  Cushcraft     corrodes and pieces fall off in 2 to 3 years
>  
    Really? XM-240 or 402CD?  I've never seen one shed any parts (I did lose 
one of the capacity wires once though). I'd be interested in hearing what was 
or was not done to antennas with the aforementioned antenna(s) to cause the 
failure. 

    I'm a bigger fan of the 402CD since it can be installed relatively close 
to other antennas whereas the XM240 doesn't seem to have that capability. 

>  HyGain       one vote

    The old version was notorious for having the insulators break down and 
short. Not recommended unless you can sove that problem. 
>  
>  Mosley        1 vote
>  
    Har har - good one. (Just a generic Mosley comment.) 

>  I also asked for a recommendation on a rotor:
>  
>  Tailtwister            one vote ( used with Cushcraft 2 element)
>  
>  Yaesu G2800      two votes
>  
>  Orion 2800     one vote
>  
>  Big Boy PST 61 from WX0B   one vote
>  
    Rotators are the weak link in the rotatable antenna system. They all have 
their pluses and minuses although the Orion's will turn just about anything 
and are just below prop pitches IMO. The brute mast clamp does loosen up and 
I don't have a cure for that problem. 

    The new rotator from Don Moorman, VE6JY, sounds interesting. They'll have 
a booth at Dayton. <A HREF="http://alfaradio.ca">http://alfaradio.ca</A>  
follow the link to alfaspid.

Cheers,
Steve    K7LXC
TOWER TECH -
Professional tower services for amateurs