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Re: [TowerTalk] Cheap thrust bearings...$10 or less

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Cheap thrust bearings...$10 or less
From: K8RI on TT <k8ri-on-towertalk@tm.net>
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:53:46 -0400
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
On 10/14/2011 6:55 AM, Cqtestk4xs@aol.com wrote:
> When I had about a dozen side mounted antennas I thought the cost  of
> thrust bearings would wind up costing about $1000 or more.  My solution,  at
> least for the lighter beams was to use the PVC toilet flange cut for two
> inches.  I made a "sandwich" from two of them back to back connected  by a 
> very
> short piece of PVC.  The top plate was the "meat" of the  sandwich.

Mine were a bit more simple.  I simply reamed out a "T" so the rotating 
part of the side arm was a slip fit and ran them dry.  Yes, they ended 
up with some surface rust on the cast iron "T's"but they worked fine 
even if they didn't look all that great.  With the side arm mounted on a 
2' extension it gave almost 260 to 280 degrees of rotation.
>
> Of course, the  "thrust bearing" could  not be tightened around the mast,
> but that was not an issue since the mast was  short and the beams were light.
>   I successfully used this setup for small  tribanders and up to 6 element
> 10 meter beams for years at my old QTH.  By  the way, total cost was around
> five bucks from your local Home Depot.  The  price probably has gone up but
> it surely beats paying $140 for  a Rohn  t-bearing..especially for small
> beams.

I've pretty much sworn off those as so many better alternatives (that 
cost far less) have been listed on here in just the last week.  Terry's 
suggestion is far superior to even the Yaesu thrust bearing, which at 
least runs smooth and looks good.

The same company makes a pillow block mount which would work well for 
these side mounts.

A little machining for a mount and wheel bearings make outstanding 
thrust bearings.

73

Roger (K8RI)


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