[TowerTalk] A3S 20 Meter troubles

[jtuel at everestkc.net]

Thank you all for your help... 

I asume water was getting in the traps because the element was not level with the ground, so the water would seep in and build up in the last two inches or so of the trap where there is no hole... (yes the holes are facing down) so when I brought the driven element level to the ground, I saw the water come out of the holes...  And as Mike/W4EF suggested, there is probably water in the other element traps as well since I could only reach the driven element to bring it parallel to the ground.

So it looks like my two problems were that 1) the elements were not level therefore water would build up in the ends of the traps, and 2) water was getting in the traps. 

I'll tilt the tower over soon take the antenna off and ensure everything looks right... As Doug/VA5DX suggested, I will use some heat shrink tubing over the lastic covers to try to keep water out in the future.. 

Thanks again for all your help... 
Josh - KB0GUS

----- Original Message -----
From: ve4xt at mts.net
Date: Tuesday, June 1, 2004 9:38 am
Subject: Re: Re: [TowerTalk] A3S 20  Meter troubles

> Hi Josh,
> 
> I am a little concerned by your note that moving the 
> element caused water to come out of the traps.
> 
> There should not be water in the traps, that's what the 
> drain holes are for. It is possible you made the 
> common and easily made error of installing the traps 
> with the drain holes up?
> 
> They should face down.
> 
> As to why it doesn't 'sound' better than the dipole is a 
> difficult question to answer with the limited details 
> you've offered: have you rotated the yagi and compared 
> the results? have you listened to a number of stations 
> whose signals will be arriving at different angles? what 
> is the height of the yagi and what is the height of the 
> dipole?
> 
> It's quite likely that some signals, particularly domestic 
> signals, will arrive at such an angle as to sound better 
> on a dipole than on a yagi. The yagi, by its nature, will 
> de-emphasize signals arriving from high angles.
> 
> If, as another writer has suggested, there are 
> conductivity problems on the last leg of the driven 
> element, there could also be conductivity problems on 
> the parasitics, which would reduce the yagi to just 
> being a rotatable dipole.
> 
> I'd say the answer is to lower the antenna, make sure 
> the drain holes are facing down and check connections 
> between all joints. And, if you want to be thorough, 
> re-check all the dimensions against the assembly 
> instructions, just in case.
> 
> 73, kelly
> ve4xt
> 
> 
>