[TowerTalk] Spun director

[Grant Saviers]

My fixes on two A4S -

1. straighten the C shaped boom clamps so the ears are parallel, I did
this with a vise.
2. drill cross holes in near the tip the ears for long 6-32 bolts. Make sure to leave space for the u-bolt.
Tighten the 6-32's so the ears won't splay out when tightened on the boom. Use nylocks.
3. I needed to replace the fiberglass center as the sun ate it up.
4. If the boom is deformed from tightening the driven element u-bolts then cut out and
replace that section with triple sleeving.  The end elements had this
problem but with plenty of Penetrox and mallet against a wood block I
drove a Al tubing sleeve inside the boom on both ends.
5. I also had to cut out the center of the reflector, triple sleeve it
since it was bent from u-bolt tightening.

These two are now Field Day beams and have been used for FD for a while.  Overly
enthusiastic assemblers caused most of the problems.  The element/boom
clamps are a weak design to start with and my elements did rotate in normal use.  Yes, the boom wall thickness is
not great.

  Grant KZ1W

On 2/17/2018 8:30 AM, Mike Smith VE9AA wrote:
> My ancient A3S (which I think I may have bought from VE9HF 25 yrs ago; and
> it was old when I got it) keeps spinning the director.  No matter how many
> times I tighten it - we get a good wind and there it goes.  It's currently
> almost vertical.
>
>
>
> Has anyone had any luck putting a hardwood (or PVC?, or other?) plug in the
> end of the boom and tighten'r down against that and had this fix actually
> work?
>
>
>
> I feel the drinking straws at MacDonalds are likely thicker than the booms
> on these old Cushcrafts, so I think that's really the problem.
>
>
>
> I think it's a little bit out of warranty ;-) hee hee
>
>
>
> Ideas?
>
>
>
> Mike VE9AA
>
>
>
> Mike, Coreen & Corey
>
> Keswick Ridge, NB
>
>
>
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