[TowerTalk] Skyhawks on TIC Rings?

[Tony Brock-Fisher]

When working, the KT36-XA is a great antenna. I believe that compared 
other tribanders on a 32' boom, they are the highest performing antenna 
you can find. Unlike interlaced tribanders, the XA uses all of the boom 
length on all bands, and forward gain is related to boom length, not the 
number of elements.

The trouble with the KT antennas is that they are not reliable. Despite 
the tremendous mechanical improvements from the M2 revision, water still 
gets into the capacitors, resulting in skyrocketing SWR or arcing at 
high power.

I've owned, loved, rebuilt, and hated the KT antennas for over 30 years. 
I've made several experimental modifications. I started a user group for 
them, KTantennas at yahoo.com. I have been successful in keeping the bugs 
and debris out of the tubing, but the antenna still fails from moisture 
getting in. And once the capacitors get wet, they do not dry out by 
themselves, and the antenna must be taken down and rebuilt.

My last experiment was an attempt to hermetically seal the antenna. I 
posted a detailed description of this experiment to the KTantennas 
group. This worked for 3 years, but recently failed with typical high 
SWR and high power issues. This is the second time that the XA has 
failed during  a contest season, forcing me to use my 2-element quad 
'multiplier' antenna as the main (and only) antenna on the high bands.

So after 30+ years of trying to make this great design reliable for many 
years of service, I am forced to face the conclusion that finding a way 
to give it environmental longevity  is beyond my technical ability.

Therefore I too will be replacing a KT36-XA with a Skyhawk next spring 
when antenna weather returns. I know I am giving up a db or two in 
forward gain, but hopefully the Skyhawk, with no traps, will be able to 
give me long term service. The reviews all seem to support this vision.

A 'good' antenna  that works is far better than the 'best' antenna that 
doesn't.

-Tony, K1KP