[TowerTalk] Trap Loss

[barockteer at aol.com]

Let me respond to Julio and Mike's valid points by clarifying a few things:

I've owned two KT-34XAs of the KLM design, and one KT-36XA of the M2 design. The KLM designs typically required rebuilds every 3 years or so. I did several rebuilds on the KLMs; I have only done one on the M2.?The M2 lasted 7 years since first being assembled. The two antennas are nearly identical in terms of basic design, but they are night and day different as far as the mechanical implementation of that design. The KLM version had several iterations of plastic capacitor caps; and it also used sheet metal aluminum for the shorting straps which would loosen up and not hold their electrical connections well. The M2 capacitor caps looked absolutely brand new after 7 years and the CNC machined shorting bars are so good that I didn't bother to redo many of the connections. 

When I rebuild an antenna, or anything else for that matter, I try to figure out what went wrong, and find ways to improve it. I?determined the root cause of the failure of the M2?was bug debris and cocoons plugging the small inner capacitor tubes; which?caused water to get into the capacitors. I have worked with Mike K6MYC to find a means of preventing this, and we shall see how long it lasts this time up.

As for the failures I learned of from local hams on the SteppIRs, I agree that with a large number of customers, even a small failure rate would result in a large number of failures. But what struck me was not the?absolute number but the? ratio of respondents that had experienced problems. Local hams were experiencing what I would?deem an unacceptable failure rate.?Read the reviews on eHam - even some brand new SteppIRs?had defective components that fail quickly due to improper materials. KLM shipped a bunch of KTs with the wrong wall thickness tubing that caused no end of problems (one of them found it's way into the Tribander Report). So no manufacturer is immune to vendor problems. Its how they respond when the problem is recognized that makes the difference.

I'm sure you can find examples of any antenna that failed when it was brand new, and other examples of them being 'up for 20 years with no problem'.

You just have to pick your poison...

-Tony, K1KP