[TowerTalk] Caps (was: Hose Clamps)
Jim Thomson
jim.thom at telus.net
Sat Feb 2 04:02:14 EST 2013
Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2013 19:19:31 -0800
From: Grant Saviers <grants2 at pacbell.net>
To: john at kk9a.com
Cc: TOWERTALK at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Caps (was: Hose Clamps)
Today, I took down a A4S, original Cushcraft. The 2" x 18' boom was
filled with water, probably nearly full. The antenna was way over the
spec 37 lb weight. All elements and the boom had end caps.
Interestingly, the last 30 days at my San Jose QTH were unusually dry,
less than 0.5 in of rain. The antenna was up about 8 years and is in
good shape except slop in the boom to element stamped aluminum saddles
which I will replace with something better. Unfortunately, birds also
thought it was a great antenna.
Grant KZ1W
### Been there, done that. I had some 10 and 15m yagi’s both on 26’ booms,
with end caps. They were both completely full of water when I took em down. Talk
about HEAVY.
## same deal with eles. You get water in the els, the tips droop a bit.. then the water is stuck
there. They they freeze, tips explode from the expanding ice. I don’t cap anything, booms or els,
not here in the pacific north west. The only thing you want to cap off is the top of a mast.
Jim VE7RF
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