Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Sat, 12 Mar 2016 15:46:56 -0600
I believe the cabs and beds are all 5000 or 6000 series Al. 5000 in low stress areas like the cowl, cab floor and inner door panels, 6000 series is used in high stress areas like the cab, sills, and
Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2016 19:10:21 -0500
If it was me the magic length would be how many steps to the telephone or computer it takes to order some Phillystran and associated stuff and forget about 1/4" EHS, except for the last 10 feet. -- R
Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Sun, 20 Mar 2016 17:07:47 -0500
Exactly the reason you can't buy a plastic gasoline container without some kludged up version of an auto shutoff spout. I know for a fact that particular "rule" was caused by some idiot throwing gaso
Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Fri, 8 Apr 2016 21:18:11 -0500
I need to figure out the wind area of the W6NL 40 Moxon antenna. The antenna starts like as a Cushcraft XM-240 which they say is 5.5 sqft. The Moxon is going to be more but how much? I'm guesstimatin
Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2016 09:34:46 -0500
Thanks for the input Ken and Joe. I used 9ft in the ARRL mast calculator and end up with 131 mph survival wind speed on a 3" x .25 wall 87,000 ksi mast. The antennas are an Optibeam 11-5 at 70' and t
Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2016 19:56:19 -0500
Ken, Thanks for all of the help. I just stuffed your number in the ARRL mast calculator. I will have an Optibeam 11-5 one foot above the top (15.7 sqft - 71ft), the Moxon 11 feet above that (7 sqft -
Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2016 10:46:25 -0500
K9YC, What happens when it works? Balun Designs has been making chokes like that for a few years now. No great up swelling of angst and hysteria has ensued and neither has one of said chokes blown a
Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2016 18:54:17 -0500
K9YC has given the best advice. A dipole, any dipole at less than 1/2 wavelength isn't going to have any lobes to rotate so scratch the dipole idea. It'll be pretty much omnidirectional. Elevated ver
Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2016 06:48:59 -0500
Agreed with all of that. I don't think were talking anywhere near 50' certainly not 100'. 30' maybe. It's a rooftop tower. At 100' EZNEC says the 40m dipole kicks butt, 50 feet not so much and 30 fee
Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Sun, 1 May 2016 19:24:04 -0500
I have seen 10' x 5/8 rods laid flat in trenches 2 or 3 feet deep in situations with shallow rock ledges. Much depends on the rock composition and moisture content. If the soil and rock are primarily
Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Thu, 5 May 2016 06:32:07 -0500
Symonds bought the company back last November. They are now selling direct to the customer. Array Solutions is no longer their dealer. The Trylon towers can't compare from a load carrying or price po
Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Thu, 5 May 2016 17:42:47 -0500
Dan did buy the company back in November of last year. There was a post by him on QRZ.com announcing the change. I will say this: First, the AN towers are an extraordinarily good product. Armageddon
Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Sat, 7 May 2016 12:46:08 -0500
It's plain old PTFE Teflon. The crimp version of the same connector, which I prefer, uses a Phenolic insulator and solder on silver plated pin so they are all over the map on insulators. Bob K6UJ --
Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Sat, 7 May 2016 14:40:02 -0500
Thanks Jim, I did that. Do a search on the Amphenol site for 182102 or 182311. What comes up are the crimp versions of the PL-259 for RG-213, 8U, etc.... The difference being 102 has a solder on cont
Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Mon, 9 May 2016 08:37:51 -0500
He can "opine" all he wants. He is an experience tower installer. He is NOT qualified to say the base is "overkill", unless he's grown a mechanical engineering degree recently. And who the hell does
Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Mon, 9 May 2016 17:46:37 -0500
Ditto the Bury-flex. For HF and up to 6M, RG8/RG213 with a heavy copper braid from a known good cable mfr. I like Buryflex a lot. http://www.davisrf.com/buryflex.php Heres the setup: Radio - Icom 706
Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Tue, 10 May 2016 18:48:00 -0500
Ditto on the crimping of connectors. I think it makes a better shield connection than the solder and hope method. I tried to pull one off a waste piece of coax. Connector clamped in my bench vise and
Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Sat, 14 May 2016 14:40:12 -0500
I'm trying to understand why a soldered connector, assuming both types are weatherproofed properly, is superior for corrosion protection. Seems to me Sn/Pb solder will corrode just as fast or faster
Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Sat, 14 May 2016 16:17:32 -0500
I'd have presented the crane company with a bill for having to wait while their electrician fixed the crane before it started the job and during. The rig never should have left the yard in that state
Author: Kevin Stover <kevin.stover@mediacombb.net>
Date: Sun, 15 May 2016 11:26:10 -0500
SteppIR doesn't use butyl tape and longer on the element seams. They use glue coated heat shrink. On 5/15/2016 11:11 AM, Mike Ryan wrote: This is the same stuff that STEPPIR supplies with their anten