[VHFcontesting] Keeping ice and snow off of antennas /R, /P: doesn't work!!

[nosigma at aol.com]

When I eat crow I prefer it iced.

The silicon spray doesnt work in an full blown ice storm. Ice still sticks to ice.  All you get are nice thick ice tubes that easily slide off once broken free of the boom.

I am QRT due to ice build up, 1/4 inch+.  2m and 6m gamma matches bridged to the driven element with ice. VSWR went over 3 amps refused to drive and I had to cut power back to 8 watts then shut down.  Interestingly the M2 driven elements  on 70cm and 1.25 bridged with ice but too but no vswr change.

Hope others had better luck.

One bright spot, a 310 mile FM 223.5 exchange with K1TEO at contest start.

73 all
KM4KMU

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On Friday, January 18, 2019 nosigma <nosigma at aol.com> wrote:

Old news I expect but I am thrilled with it.

A few days ago I took the beams off the carry rack on my Jeep roof.  Put them on saw horses and thoroughly sprayed them with silicon spray lube (doesnt attack rubber like wd 40 or pb blaster).

Snowed, rained, froze a few times since then and snowed a bit last night.  Putting beams back in the roof rack this morning.  Only had a small amount of snow piled on horizontal sufaces, most fell off on its own.  No ice stuck.   A light shake and what was left fell off.

Good luck, stay warm
John
KM4KMU


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