Perhaps a goofy thought, but if you don't want to go the motorized route you could try what the electric utilities like to do with their pole-top switches: run a rod from the device down to a ground level actuator. You could use 60' of 1/2 inch electrical conduit or maybe aluminum rod with a section of fiberglass rod at the top as an insulator between the rod and capacitor. This would let you adjust the cap from ground level. All you'd need would be some simple standoffs and other easy-to-get materials. If you go this route, I'd make sure the couplings between rod/pipe sections were pretty secure so that they wouldn't loosen over time.
Regarding the motorized vacuum variable, have you tried using a well-sealed electrical enclosure? I've been using one of the plastic electrical enclosures with a gasketed door and I haven't had any trouble with it. This type of enclosure is used for things like car washes where there is a need to deal with sprays of water so it's a lot more watertight than a hardware store "drip tight" electrical box would be. These boxes are usually around $150 or so from electrical supply houses but they are easy to find. -Bill [snip] > There will soon come a day when I will not be able to climb to the 60 foot > level to adjust the matching capacitor when needed. The question is: Can I > place the capacitor at ground level, connected to the original feed point > via coax or open-wire line? Will this 60 foot line radiate? I do not want > to > upset the radiation pattern of the system. I tried a motorized vacuum > variable several years ago, but it was a high maintenance item due to > exposure to the elements. _______________________________________________ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
