Charles H. Harpole wrote:
>
> I make a small hole in the lower part of all boom and element end caps for
> drain on beams. K4VUD
>
* * * * * *
Boy, I'll drink to that! A couple of years ago several of us had
occasion to visit a contest site in another land, known for its desert
heat and lack of rain. The Cushcraft 402CD up on the tower had the boom
and both elements drooping by about 45 degrees. When we popped off the
end caps from the boom and elements, I'd guess about 5 gallons of water
poured out. Apparently what little humidity there was in the air
condensed inside the boom every night. Anybody want to guess what
happens inside your tower legs at the bottom?
On the other hand, when I disassembled the 204BA, which did not have end
caps on it, I found a shrike lodged about 8' in from one end of the
boom. He was probably following some tasty morsel when he got stuck in
there. This, no doubt, contributed to the high SWR. . .
Regards,
Madison
w5mj
--
FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests: towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: owner-towertalk@contesting.com
Search: http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search
|