[TowerTalk] kt34xa torque balancing

[W0UN -- John Brosnahan]

Let me clarify one thing.  Any symmetrical (about the boom) surface areas 
parallel
to the elements will cancel.  And surface area parallel to the boom will not.
So the ENDS of the traps are not balanced, nor are element screws, hose clamps,
etc.  But they are very small compared to the rest of the array.  But the 
sides of
the traps ARE balanced.

In the case of the KT34XA "traps" the surfaces parallel to the elements cancel
and the surfaces parallel to the boom do not.  So there are some very small
areas of the traps -- the effective surface area that you see when looking
AT THE END of trap that is relevant to torque balancing.  But this is SMALL
by comparison to everything else.

One could make the argument that the surface area of the END of the larger
diameter piece of telescoping tubing is relevant, the same way that the END
of the tip of the element is relevant.  But again, these areas are very small.

Any SIDE projection of a trap is balanced by the other one on the other side
of the boom.

--John  W0UN