I think the problem with the X-500's is they are already too tight. I have experience with 3 of them and was not too impressed. One was waterproofed at all joints with industrial Dow silicone rubber and cleaner it was up a couple of years and when taken down and taken apart it was apparent moisture had either migrated through the fiberglass or as I suspect water vapor in the air just condensed on the inside of the radome due to differing temperatures between inside and outside of the radome (dew point) kind of like when you see condensation forming on your windows in the winter time. I suspect the radome chamber is just too tight and does not allow enough ventilation to dissipate the condensation once it has formed. That and the stupid foam water sponges those io-dots put in there. I think the fix would be to drill a hole up buy the top (and or bottom) put a cap so water cant get back in and paint the thing black so you would get some solar help in drying it out. Or take the antenna out of the radome and put it in a station master shell. I have some other stories about x-500's (all not good)
> [Original Message] > From: Coy Hilton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Date: 10/16/2004 11:03:25 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! 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