[TowerTalk] B&W Center Insulator for dipoles

[donovanf at starpower.net]

Al,

That old B&W insulator has a serious problem with water entry through
the holes where the ceramic insulators pass through the body.  Water
inevitably gets inside via that path, then it gets inside your coax
and ruins it.  I'm not aware of a viable solution to that problem.

I'm not sure what the favored center insulator is these days, but the
Budwig is very good.  You'll have to provide good waterproofing of the
coaxial cable connector and strain relief too.

73!
Frank
W3LPL



---- Original message ----
>Date: Sun, 08 Jul 2007 17:00:09 +0000
>From: Al_N6TA at comcast.net  
>Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] B&W Center Insulator for dipoles  
>To: "Norm Duxbury" <duxburyn at bellsouth.net>, "TowerTalk" <TowerTalk at contesting.com>
>
>Many thanks to Pete, Norm, Kent, Jim and Clint for the feedback on the B&W dipole center insulator.
>
>No doubt I will need to fab some kind of rubber bushing to replace the long gone original.  I recall getting this with a roll of coax and that there was many wraps of black tape trying to do the job.  yeah, sure.
>
>I did scrape off the remnants of the 'goop' that had been applied.  I will need to select a replacement that seals but won't epoxy the halves together.  
>
>Weight does not bother me as it will not be that much more compared to the coax hanging from it at 60' or so.  I plan on some real stiff wire and rope and to just stretch it tight with some kind of strain relief on the rope end coming down from the treetop from the pulley.
>
>Thanks again for the nice feedback!
>Al
>N6TA
>
>-------------- Original message -------------- 
>From: "Norm Duxbury" <duxburyn at bellsouth.net> 
>
>> Yes, you're missing an insert that acts as a gasket and supports the coax 
>> cable. You're probably also missing the tube of "goop" that seals the unit 
>> around its periphery. 
>> 
>> 73, Norm - W1MO 
>> (old-timer) 
>> 
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: 
>> To: "TowerTalk" 
>> Sent: Saturday, July 07, 2007 20:54 
>> Subject: [TowerTalk] B&W Center Insulator for dipoles 
>> 
>> 
>> > One of my junk drawers just coughed up a B&W cast aluminum center 
>> insulator for dipoles. It is a two piece clamshell design that is really 
>> heavy duty with eye bolts, ceramic insulators, gaskets and seems to want to 
>> clamp to the coax feedline. 
>> > My question to the old timers out there is why is hole for the coax 9/16 " 
>> diameter, much too large for RG-8 type coax? Am I missing a part that is a 
>> gasket of some kind that would make the RG-8 fit? 
>> > 
>> > If this B&W unit is used correctly, I seems like it could take a LOT of 
>> tension and weight of coax hanging a long way down. I plan to raise my 80 M 
>> dipole to heights it has never seen before! 
>> > 
>> > Tnx 
>> > Al 
>> > N6TA 
>> > _______________________________________________ 
>> > 
>> > 
>> > 
>> > _______________________________________________ 
>> > TowerTalk mailing list 
>> > TowerTalk at contesting.com 
>> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk 
>> > 
>> 
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