I notice that the G10 insulators I have made (wire insulators, turned or cut on my crude home tools... I don't have a tower!) start out "G10 green" but then turn brown after a few years in the weather. I suspect this is UV although I cannot rule out cut fiber ends absorbing something (moisture?) and then turning brown. It seems somewhat worse at the rough cuts I have made than on the "shiny from factory" surfaces although both turn brown. This browning never happens in indoor G10 applications.
Is this entirely cosmetic? I really like G10 as a material in the workshop because it combines toughness with being easy to work (especially the ability to punch holes in thin sheets.) I have also been using the red GPO3 Electrical Fiberglass in indoor HV applications, it is a very nice material but wears the heck out of saws or drills that are not carbide. I might try some outside. Tim N3QE On Fri, Dec 18, 2015 at 5:59 AM, Stan Stockton <[email protected]> wrote: > Those look identical to the ones I made for my 8m 4 Square Towers. > Use G10, not just any fiberglass. The G10 rod is more like $20.00 per > foot retail, unless you do a little searching. The one thing I would > do differently is add a washer over the machined ends of the > fiberglass insulators to put a flat against the unturned portion of > the insulator instead of the sharp edges from the ends of the tower > legs. Those sharp edges can splinter the fiberglass. Also if you > span the joint with flat G10 material (maybe 4 inches wide by 18 > inches long by 3/8 inches thick) it will at least reduce if not > eliminate the lateral movement. > > I have Fiberglas rod guying them now but for many years had four 70 > foot towers unguyed with this setup at the base. > > It is interesting that a lot of hams are let's say "thrifty" but when > it comes to having something made or making it themselves to save > hundreds or even thousands of dollars, many will pay whatever it takes > to buy the end product. > > http://k5go.com/40-meters/ > > 73...Stan, K5GO > > > > > > > On Dec 17, 2015, at 10:43 PM, Merv Schweigert <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > 20 mins work with a 5.00 fibre glass rod spun in a lathe, > > sort of grossly overpriced exaggeration of a Rohn insulator. > > > >> I believe there is a slight misrepresentation here. I've never seen > these in any Rohn catalog. Rather than > >> calling them Rohn 25 tower insulators, I think they are better > described as insulators for Rohn 25 tower. > >> > >> 73, Roger > >> > >> > >>> On 12/17/2015 7:49 PM, [email protected] wrote: > >>> ok,the station wanting the insulators for a rohn 25.there is a set > available from ab5k.he is listing them on e-bay set of 3.look for dxer49 on > e-bay.I believe they are new..73 john > >>> _________________ > >>> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband > >> _________________ > >> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband > > > > _________________ > > Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband > _________________ > Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband > _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
