[TowerTalk] Have you had success with ....

[Bob Shohet, KQ2M]

My experiences have been different from KK9A.  Open element tips with nothing capping them, is just an invitation for spiders, bees, wasps and other flying creatures to nest in them (extremely common here in the deep forests of Western CT) and their nests block the drainage of water, trapping it inside for it to freeze and split the element.  Or, the water stays inside and the weight builds up adding to the potential weight and torque imbalances in a heavy wind.

Prior to my living here I really didn’t think that spiders would want to climb much less nest in anything 130’ off the ground.  I was wrong.  And the bee/wasp/flying insect issue was a problem with element tips too.  Now I don’t ever have a problem with them in my antennas because they can’t get in because I cap and seal the ends.  Antennas that use traps have an even bigger potential problem – there have been many past posts on this reflector on the topic of trap failures because of nesting insects.  

CAUTION:  Different qth’s have different climates and different critters.  Be sure that you know what you are dealing with BEFORE you make a choice to not cap your element tips.

73

Bob KQ2M


From: john at kk9a.com 
Sent: Saturday, July 20, 2019 11:54 AM
To: towertalk at contesting.com 
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Have you had success with ....

I have been using NO end caps for decades. There is nothing to fall  
off and nothing to seal water inside the boom or elements which would  
cause severe damage.

John KK9A




Charles Morrison N1RR wrote:

Have you had success with:
Hot glue gun to attach vinyl end caps to aluminum yagi tips or boom ends ?

-Charlie N1RR