[TowerTalk] frustrating rain and connections... also Noalox?

[Patrick Greenlee]

Cue the theme to "The Twilight Zone", Rod, if you please.

You stumped the chump with this situation...  I am most anxiously 
awaiting enlightenment from our guru corps on this strange manifestation.

Meanwhile... I think the two anti-seize corrosion prevention products 
are essentially the same and if one were applied to joint A and the 
other to joint B there would be no way to measure an electrical 
difference.  In addition if the joint is tightly clamped to make good 
electrical as well as physical connection you would have to get close 
with a powerful jet of eater to wash the compound out.  If you did wash 
it out it wouldn't keep giving repeatable results with rain/dry cycles.

As the little Nazi watching from behind the potted palm often said, 
"Very interesting."

Please... somebody... drop the other shoe!

Patrick        NJ5G

On 4/2/2016 7:21 AM, StellarCAT wrote:
> I’m testing a yagi... I can raise it to ~37’ for testing and lower it to about 8’ for adjustment ... it was made as a duplicate to another one and testing showed it to be just that – a duplicate. Until it rained! The SWR shifted downward. At 21425 it was ~1.35:1 ... and it would go over 2:1. I’m at a loss as to what is causing this. It is a used antenna reassembled... but I find it very difficult to believe that water could get in to the mechanical joints and cause this kind of a problem. The balun doesn’t appear to be taking on water – there wasn’t a drain hole in the bottom – there is now – I went out early this morning just after it rained – SWR up high – and there was nothing coming out of the drain hole. I have checked all connections – they’re tight. Oh – and the strange thing – it goes back to normal after only about 4 – 5 hours without rain. It has done this 3 times now. It is now – 45 minutes after checking it this morning where it was at 2.33:1, its now down to 1.8:1 and continuing its decent. And further note the SWR seems to be about the same – its just shifted downward when wet. Also I hosed it down – the balun/coax connection, hairpin for a good 5 minutes – no change. I hosed down the elements at their joints – no change. It rains: changes! The fact that it shifts seems to be independent of height – it does this if at 37’ or at 8’.
>
> Also: is Noalox the same as penatrox? It is the No AL OX sold by HD ... it says it is for increased conductivity as well as anti-seize... perhaps IT is the problem at the joints ... unless someone knows it to be fine (or KNOWS it to be bad).
>
> thanks – I’m hoping someone has personally seen such a thing and has an idea. Its holding up the testing of the other antennas.
>
> Gary
>
> ps: the first one had no problems when it was rained on.
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