[TowerTalk] Fire hazard with inverted L ??

Tom WA9WSJ wa9wsj at yahoo.com
Mon Sep 4 12:48:36 EDT 2017


Hello Jeff,
Permit me to pass along my experience. Not to be opposite to others knowledgeable information but to only add information in which to make a well informed decision.
I was tuning up a hamstick, (yes I realize not the same as your antenna but you'll get the idea), on my camper with only about 50 watts and the swr was real good when all of a sudden the bridge needle jumped erratically high. Then it settled good again, then it randomly jumped again. It did this a few times and then I just happened to look up at the antenna and seen that it was intermittently touching a branch with the end of the whip. As it made contact, it arced and visually smoked the branch. Obviously when this happened, the bridge reading jumped, thus showing a high swr. I moved the camper and all tuned correctly. Apparently the wind was moving the offending branch into the antenna, which wasn't close when I started my testing.
The point of this is that the end of the antenna is the high voltage point, as described by many online articles. As one approaches the end, the voltage increase and current decreases. 
I was curious about this when you mentioned your antenna type and found this article:  Ham Radio Site - { 80m Inv.-L on 12m Pole }
Might be worth check out.
73 GL,
Tom
  
|  
|   
|   
|   |    |

   |

  |
|  
|   |  
Ham Radio Site - { 80m Inv.-L on 12m Pole }
 Neue Seite  |   |

  |

  |

 


      From: Jeff Draughn <n0ost99 at gmail.com>
 To: TowerTalk at contesting.com 
 Sent: Monday, September 4, 2017 9:38 AM
 Subject: [TowerTalk] Fire hazard with inverted L ??
   
 I am considering putting up an inverted L for 80 or 160 possibly both .
My concern is the antenna will invariably touch some limbs or limbs will
touch the antenna with the wind and rain storms, ice etc. how much of a
fire hazard is there with this at the 1500 watt power level?

 Also have the same concern at the feed point any information or experience
with this would be appreciated.

73, Jeff
_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk at contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk


   


More information about the TowerTalk mailing list