You're right Steve I left out the part about the chambers being on a timer and alternating.
Here is what I found, 1. the folks that put up the scaffold,..the kind that hangs off the side of the roof, had hit the hard line and loosened it from the Connector at the antenna, I re made the conector. 2. I found water inside the connector likely from #1 above. 3. The antenna had a small amount of moisture inside, not enough to pour out but enough to get the lower Foam wet. All joints are taped with fusing silicone rubber tape and over taped with 1 1/2 inch electrical tape. Still a little reflected but I plan to go back after it has a while to dryout and re check it, and solder jumpers around the screw connections inside. 73 AC0Y --- In [email protected], "Steve Grantham" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Coy, > > There ya go! I thought it was probably a short transmission line since > you said something about throwing the antenna off the roof. (he he!) If > you do pressurize it, think about using a UV resistant air line.. and not > more than a couple of PSI would seem to be enough.. > > Funny thing about all that silica gel that you see in new consumer > electronics packaging.. it's always white.. That's because it's full of > moisture. For the silica gel to do any good, it has to be dried. Sure.. > you can bake it in the oven or in a toaster oven to make it nice and dark.. > but after a while it would turn pinkish and continue to lighten up. > Dehydrators like the one you mention will dry the silica gel in the chambers > after they have dehydrated the air. This is why they have two chambers, and > alternate between them. > > Steve > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Coy Hilton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Saturday, October 16, 2004 10:03 PM > Subject: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Diamond X500 > > > > > > > > Hi Steve, I'm going up to the site Sunday and I will likely not > > pressureize it, But I will be thinking about the suggestion for a > > good while. I would consider sense the half inch hardline is only > > thirty feet long to the sky hook, running a small airline to it and > > using a aquerium (?) pump to pressurize it. BUT I Will likely use > > some Scotch brand tape that I have that "fuses" to it self to water > > proof the fiber glass joints after drying it out with a trusty hair > > dryer. I wish I had about 5 pounds of "Silica JELL". > > Oh, while I was consulting for ANDREW Corp, some years ago I had a > > chance to take a look at their sweet little "HELIAX" pressureizer. > > It had a small GATES compresser mounted on a chassis and sucked air > > in through two chambers of "Silica Jell" and pumped it into the hard > > line. It worked really well. > > 73 > > AC0Y > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "Steve Grantham" > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Coy.. I was just joking.. However, if you could get an air > > connector > > > mounted on the antenna base somewhere and put pressure on it, then > > you could > > > soap the antenna and look for bubbles. Once you get the antenna > > sealed, > > > then perhaps you could charge it, or at least let it weep through > > the air > > > fitting if it was positioned properly to act as a drain. > > > > > > Tight transmission lines are often pressurized with nitrogen. > > Microwave and > > > cellular lines and antennae are often pressurized using dry air. A > > > dehydrator, a compressor with a dryer, won't run out and need > > replacement > > > like a nitrogen bottle would, and is more suited to leaky antenna > > systems. > > > As long as you keep positive pressure on the line... no worrys... > > concerning > > > water ingress anyway. > > > > > > Seriously, I don't know much about the Diamond X500 (dimensions, > > etc.), but > > > if you can put an air fitting on it, then you can probably fix > > it.. Perhaps > > > you can go to the auto parts or the tire store to get an air > > fitting. They > > > pressurize tires, don't they? (Let me know if you spin balance > > it.. hi hi!) > > > > > > Steve > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Coy Hilton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > To: <[email protected]> > > > Sent: Friday, October 15, 2004 8:19 PM > > > Subject: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Diamond X500 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Steve, Great thinking !! sounds like something a thinker, or > > > > engineer would come up with. I would even take this one under > > > > advisement. > > > > 73 > > > > AC0Y > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "Steve Grantham" > > > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > As long as we're engineering solutions... (hi hi!..) How about > > > > using an > > > > > air-dielectric cable and pressurizing the Diamond radome with > > an > > > > > inter-connecting jumper (hose) using a dehydrator... Positive > > air > > > > pressure, > > > > > air egress, can prevent water ingress.. > > > > > > > > > > 73 & HI! > > > > > Steve > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > > From: "Brent" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > To: <[email protected]> > > > > > Sent: Friday, October 15, 2004 8:02 PM > > > > > Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] Diamond X500 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Good one Neil, or use it for a Rain gauge. j/k > > > > > > I have tried to keep moisture out of those antenna and have > > had > > > > no luck, > > > > > do > > > > > > to them no having a good vent hole at the bottom to release > > any > > > > moisture. > > > > > So > > > > > > i drilled a little hole near the bottom of the antenna and > > than > > > > installed > > > > > a > > > > > > small hose like a fishing tank pump hose about 4-5" long and > > > > routed it > > > > > > towards the bottom for a drain. it seems to have helped.. > > > > > > Brent > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > > > From: "Neil McKie" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > To: <[email protected]> > > > > > > Sent: Friday, October 15, 2004 7:54 PM > > > > > > Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] Diamond X500 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Sure !! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Install it inside the building ... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Neil > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Coy Hilton wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi Gang, > > > > > > > > Anyone know anything about keeping water out of a Diamond > > > > X500 > > > > > > > > antenna for a repeater use, Or any other suggestions, > > Short > > > > of > > > > > > > > heaving it off the side of the building. > > > > > > > > 73 > > > > > > > > AC0Y > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- > > > > > > > [This E-mail scanned for viruses at TNWEB LLC] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- > > > > > > [This E-mail scanned for viruses at TNWEB LLC] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Repeater-Builder/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
