There's a difference between PVC at ground level (or a few
hundred feet above it) and PVC at 5,500-6,000 feet AMSL.
The IR and UV are much more intense at 6,000 feet elevation...
You can gut a sunburn in an hour in the middle of December
while swapping antennas or mounting feedline on a tower...
been there, done that.
And there's differences in PVC - there's white PVC water pipe,
there's grey PVC electrical conduit, and there's specialized
PVC tubing that is made for other purposes.
Some lasts, others doesn't.
So don't only make sure that you are comparing
apples to apples and not to oranges, but in the same
IR / UV environment.
Mike WA6ILQ
At 09:52 PM 11/28/06, you wrote:
In a message dated 11/28/2006 8:04:48 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Why? For one thing, PVC is notorious for its lack of UV resistance, and is
prone to craze, crack, or crumble when exposed to sunlight for long periods.
Been there, done that. Some formulations of PVC have components that affect
the RF field and thereby affect the radiation pattern and/or impedance of
the antenna. Been there, done that, too. I'm sure there are other
considerations, but I can't afford to skimp on a side-mount antenna
installation. In my opinion, a rugged fiberglass and stainless-steel
anti-sway support from Decibel Products (Andrew) or RFS/Celwave is the only
way to go.
Oh really? It's been up there for 24 years and the paddle looks one
hell of a lot better
than the tower that supports it. But glad to see you pouring out the
bucks - good for the economy.
