[TowerTalk] Hustler 5BTV Problem and their servicing.

[Michael Baker]

	This can be a problem depending where you live because of corrosives
in the air, and exposure to them.
	When I took mine down for service after several years to replace the
trap covers and give it the once over I was surprised by what I found.
Condensation inside the traps had mixed with dust and collected at the
bottom of the outside tube on the trap and mixed with moisture and the salt
in the air, it etched the aluminum tube that ran up the center of the trap
as well as the connection point to the outer tube. Not heavily but visible.
	Using a scotch bright pad and some Noa-Lox, I scrubbed the
connections until they were cleaned up and much more conductive. ALL
connections for aluminum parts were treated this way and it gave me a bit
more confidence that the connections were corrosion free and might stay that
way for a while.
	Replacing the clamps with the very best, stainless steel hose clamps
I could find and using a bit of a wipe of Noa-Lox in the joints is a must
when rebuilding. If one clamp doesn't seem to work well enough, use two. 
	I went so far as to cross cut the joints to make them have 4 fingers
instead of two so the tension was reduced on each finger and requiring less
tension to keep things clamped. Was it necessary? Who knows, but it seemed
to make a better bite for the clamps when tightened up.

	Overall, I think the Hustler verticals have been one of my most
favorite antennas over the years. You can do all manner of things with them
that was never intended and they work well and can be maintained easily and
repaired inexpensively. I have even put two of the 5BTV together base to
base and made a rotatable dipole out of them and they worked quite nicely. A
bunch cheaper than some mfg want for a rotatable dipole as well because I
have paid as little as $40 for used antennas that I had to take down and
even got the one I have now for free from a buddy who didn't use it any
longer. Hard to beat for the money.
	You just have to live with the idea that radials are a way of life
with verticals.

Michael Baker  K7DD
k7dd at cox.net

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Jim CASSIDY
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 6:03 PM
To: Towertalk
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Hustler 5BTV Problem


I have had a problem with SWR on a 6BTV with resonant freq being lower than
expected.  A friend advised me that sometimes the lower end of the aluminum
can around the trap makes a bad connection to the mast.  The aluminum is the
capacitance portion of the trap and without it the tap becomes a coil only
and electrically lengthens the whole antenna.  
I have not tried to fix mine yet as its intended use is portable operation
and I have not needed it yet.
73

Jim Cassidy

KI7Y





 		 	   		  
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