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Re: [TowerTalk] mast, torque balance questions

To: "David J Windisch" <davidjw@cinci.rr.com>,<TowerTalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] mast, torque balance questions
From: ersmar@comcast.net
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 13:22:53 +0000
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Dave:

     1.  Maybe Dillsburg Aeroplane Works near Harrisburg, PA might be a source 
for aluminum. http://www.dimebank.com/monster/burst/00229.html .

     2.   Torque-balancing is an attempt to distribute the effective area of 
all the elements, including the boom, on a Yagi antenna system so that net 
torque on the mast is zero, irrespective of the direction of the wind.  This 
will have the indirect effect of minimizing the torque required from the 
rotator to turn the array.

     My Bencher Skyhawk Yagi has a couple of PVC components among the director 
elements that, supposedly, help to balance or reduce the net torque on the mast 
by compensating for the necessarily longer reflector elements.  You can see a 
photo of one of the two <torque compensators> at:  
http://www.bencher.com/sky_hawk1.html .  The short (PVC) tube on the left 
between the 10M and 20M directors compensates for the greater amount of element 
material on the reflector side of the mast.  Not clearly seen is a vertical 
flag of PVC plate that mounts above this PVC tube.  That flag compensates for 
the greater boom length on reflector side of the mast.  Yes, both of these PVC 
items add a bit to the total wind area of the Skyhawk.

     I'm guessing that having a better-balanced Yagi array permits the rotator 
to turn it with less effort in a wind than if the Yagi were left uncompensated 
or unbalanced.  I don't believe that the inertia of the array is affected by 
such compensation.

73 de
Gene Smar  AD3F

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "David J Windisch" <davidjw@cinci.rr.com>
> Hi, all concerned:
> 
> 1.  Searching for 24' of 2"OD X 0.25" wall X 24' length 7075 T6 alloy 
> aluminum mast has turned up nothing.   Any help on sources out there, pls?
> 
> 2.  Is "torque-balancing" of a boom a balance of sorts between wind effects 
> and inertial start/stop forces on a rotator?
> 
> TIA & 73,
> 
> Dave, N3HE
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
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> 
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