[TowerTalk] Weather/water proofing aluminum tube ends

[Jeff Carter]

Great!  Now maybe you could tell me a bit about how you waterproofed
the ends of the traps, since that was the question I actually
asked...I'm good on every single other thing about the R7 just now.

So far, in addition to straight replacements and where to get them,
I've gotten silicone and shrink-caps, both of which I may try for the
sake of comparison.  I didn't know you could get shrink-caps, all I've
seen are ones like Cushcraft originally furnishes.  If you've got a
better solution, please post it.  This list desperately needs some
signal to go along with all the noise.

Thanks!

Jeff/KD4RBG
Amateur Extra
First licensed in 1992

P.S. Double thanks to all of you who actually previously responded to
the question I asked without additional prompting.  You are the only
hope left for Amateur Radio, which would otherwise doubtlessly devolve
into total narcissism.   When I hear a new ham make mistakes on the
air, I am the picture of patience, because I know that there is no way
he is getting any substantive help from anybody in the hobby.  He will
have to struggle and make do while listening to foolishness about
arthritis, back trouble, and the glory of Field Days past from folks
who themselves were never more than appliance operators.

---- Original message ----
>Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:31:09 -0400
>From: "W4ZW" <w4zw at comcast.net>
>Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Weather/water proofing aluminum tube ends
>To: "'Jeff Carter'" <kd4rbg at gmail.com>,<towertalk at contesting.com>
>
>Jeff,
>
>The Cushcraft R-7 is a great antenna for what it is, a compromise 3/8 wl,
>counterpoise vertical.  I've used them for years in a variety of locations
>and they are very good performers.  We recently ran a special event station
>here for the Sharks Tooth festival in Venice Florida (look for us again this
>year-Special Event Station K4S on 11 - 13 April 2008)   and everyone was
>surprised how well the R-7 worked, better than the Force 12 Sigma 5 at the
>same height.  Within an hour, everyone was using the R-7 since it won the
>A/B test every time.    I've used R-7's every Field Day for easy to put up,
>easy to change bands without worrying about SWR, and gets out very well.
>
>They will take 1.5KW as long as the SWR isn't too far off, and 800-1000w
>with ease.  The only design flaw in the R-7 is a mystifying random spike in
>the SWR on windy days.  It is due to the mounting bracket slipping in the
>wind and grounding the driver portion as the vertical is compressed onto the
>base.  I solved this problem by placing a golf ball (my Titleist ball works
>well) in the mounting bracket so that when the wind and weight sag onto the
>mounting mast, it won't short!
>
>Try one, you'll like it.