[TowerTalk] A3S Traps

[K9MA]

Cushcraft confirms that the traps are supposed to have vent holes, like 
the originals. I've had to modify the other traps to enlarge the holes 
and cover them with screen to keep bugs out, so I'll just give the new 
ones the same treatment. Voids the warranty, but that's life.

The TH7 I had up for almost 30 years never had a trap problem. (Too high 
for the grass spiders, or whatever got into the A3 trap 20 feet below?) 
The HyGain traps have end caps that seal much better around the inner 
tubing, 3 vent holes in the trap, a small hole on the bottom of each end 
cap, and a small gap on the bottom where the end cap meets the outer 
case. Seems to work.

73,

Scott K9MA

On 7/18/2019 11:14, Joe Ciarcia wrote:
> Original A3S traps  have bleed holes at the bottom of the traps. Grass
> spiders would get in and build  nests. The solution was to cover the holes
> with a screen material. Perhaps a drain hole in the end cap solved that
> problem. In any case I think drain holes are necessary. Joe
>
> On Thu, Jul 18, 2019, 11:12 AM <n8de at thepoint.net> wrote:
>
>> Not sure what Cushcraft/MFJ is doing with the traps now, but, some
>> other manufacturers in the past used sealed traps with a 'bleed hole'
>> at the bottom of an end cap.
>> 73
>> Don
>> N8DE
>>
>>
>> Quoting Glenn Pritchard <gpritchard7000 at gmail.com>:
>>
>>> Regardless of how they showed up you still must have vent holes in
>>> the traps. I had a MA5B twenty years ago and although it had vent or
>>>   moisture holes the traps still collected water.
>>> Put the traps on a drill press and drill small 1/8 holes in the covers.
>>> Make sure when assembled the holes face down.
>>>
>>> Glenn, VA7UO
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>>> On Jul 17, 2019, at 9:35 PM, K9MA <k9ma at sdellington.us> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I recently bought some replacement traps for my old A3S from
>>>> MFJ/Cushcraft. Unike the originals, the replacements have no vent
>>>> holes. Among other problems, the original traps tended to collect
>>>> moisture and take a long time to dry out, so I'm concerned that the
>>>>   replacements might be even worse. Does anyone have any experience
>>>> with these unvented traps?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 73,
>>>>
>>>> Scott K9MA
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Scott  K9MA
>>>>
>>>> k9ma at sdellington.us
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>
>>>>

-- 
Scott  K9MA

k9ma at sdellington.us