Hi Lee, Thank you for those answers, that's what I need to do then and I should be good to go in a couple days after I remove all the foliage that will be around the elements.
I'm looking forward to working D6 on 160 and know this will ]be a great help. 73, Gary KA1J > > Hello Gary, > Spray painting the elements is no problem. As far as mounting the > amps to the elements I would not recommend that. It likely could > compromise performance. It would be much better if you could take a > steel post like a piece of rebar and provide a second place for the > amps to mount with just the wires reaching the element and ground. > If you have to lengthen the leads to the amp do not lengthen the > ground lead any more than absolutely necessary. Lengthening the > element wires will have to be done exactly the same length and > dressed as closely the same way as possible on each element/amp. > Lee K7TJR > > > Subject: Topband: 8 element antenna - Amplifier placement > > I'm so close to being done with putting this together. I have all 8 > antennas made @ 23' each the tip section is .5" and the base is .850" > I'm using a 3/4" fiberglass rod as an insulator > > doctorgary.net/Hi-Z-8-Pro-1.jpg > doctorgary.net/Hi-Z-8-Pro-2.jpg > > I am having a conundrum with the placement of the enclosure for the > preamp mounted at each antenna and need some advice. The problem is I > am at sea level and the antennas will be mounted in a location that > will possibly get a storm surge during a Hurricane, it ruined my > remote coax switch during Sandy from this very reason. The preamp does > have a silicone gasket but if the amp gets submerged in salt water, > I'm sure it will get past the terminals and ruin the amp. I have no > alternate choice, this is the location where I have to put the array. > > Seeing the photo of the end cap on the PVC tubing with the zip tie > holding the amp in place (to protect from rain & Snow), gave me an > idea for the solution; At the top of the PVC tube, make two opposing > holes, run a loose loop of thin wire through and twist together. Run > the coax up & over the wire to hold the amp elevated inside the tube, > all the way to the top. Use a rubber cap with radiator clamp to secure > the top and make it truly airtight. Now if the tide water from a storm > surge encroaches, there will be a pocket of air inside and will be > unable to push high enough to reach the amplifier. I tried this with a > Mason jar and the water did not get very high in the upside down jar. > > doctorgary.net/Hi-Z-8-Pro-3.jpg > > So here's the dilemma: As a further hedge against water damage > assuming there are strong winds making waves (they would not be > breakers, just waves in the marsh) at this time, I'd like to raise the > placement of the amplifier so it would be another foot higher than > standard placement which is on the base below the insulator. This > would require me to clamp the PVC on the antenna instead of the base. > Can anyone see how this might be a problem with operation? > > Also, I'd like to spray camo paint on the elements so they don't stand > out. When the leaves come down, I'd prefer the neighbors not see the > elements, they're nosy enough as it is. I think I remember reading a > layer of paint on the element shouldn't cause a problem, is this > correct? > > Thanks & 73, > > Gary > KA1J > > > > _________________ > Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband > _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
