Gayle, I’ve been researching the exact same question, but have not found a definitive answer. Some think it makes no difference; others are skeptical. Below is an exchange I had recently with Al Andzik (WB0TGE) about painting his “Mighty Woof” copper tube 2m/70 cm design ( http://www.hamradioschool.com/wbotges-mighty-woof-2m440-mhz-dual-band-fan-dipole/ ). I am building this antenna and will test it with and without paint by the end of March. I’ll post the results. Tom Watson, WZ8Q ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Al Andzik [mailto:aland...@gmail.com] Sent: Friday, February 10, 2017 7:39 PM To: Tom Watson Subject: Re: Your "Mighty Woof" 2m/440 MHz fan dipole... Really can't say if paint will affect characteristics. You might try doing some SWR measurements un-painted then paint maybe one element and see if things change. If they do, you can clean it off. Also if a dark color is what you want, perhaps some "cold" gun bluing solution might work instead of paint. You wouldn't have a coating over the metal but it will just change the color. Usually the stuff is for steel, but it might work on copper in some manner too.
On Feb 10, 2017, at 4:56 PM, Tom Watson <wz8q....@gmail.com> wrote: Al, Have you heard of anyone painting this antenna? I live in an HOA-controlled area, but members of the architectural committee don’t see so well and I believe that if I paint this antenna dark gray, no one will see it. So far, I haven’t found any discussions that suggest that an antenna cannot be painted or that doing so will cause a significant decrease in performance. But I want to be sure before proceeding with paint. Also, I plan to run the transmission line inside a 15’, 1-3/8” diameter steel tube attached to a wooden fence. Is it possible that the tube will provide enough of a choke effect, or do you think the 4 or 5 turns of coax for that purpose will still be necessary? Thanks again for your help, Tom Watson, WZ8Q From: BVARC [mailto:bvarc-boun...@bvarc.org] On Behalf Of Gayle Dotts via BVARC Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2017 2:31 PM To: BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB Cc: Gayle Dotts Subject: [BVARC] Paint and antennas Can an tube antenna say a beam or Yagi, be painted for camoflage purposes and not loose any Tx or Rx characteristics by painting it? Gayle KF5LVZ
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