I haven't had as many problems with lightning and the fiberglass antennas as I have with wind causing fractures in the connections between the elements. In the case of the coasts, you have to deal with that AND salt, so I doubt there is any good solution.
The above said, I do believe the 224 type antennas do handle lightning better - I didn't mean to imply that they don't. I'm only saying in those I've seen wind is the bigger threat. In the case of a top mounted antenna, there is no way to stabilize the top of the fiberglass antenna. Joe M. Ron Wright wrote: > Dick, > > This discussion of weather proofing an antenna was started in part because I > am replacing a 4 bay DB224 up high and near the Gulf of Mexico. We think the > salt air got to it. We have had similar problems in the past. The antenna > has been up for about 12 years. > > I was looking for a solution to the salt air. The painting issue came up > because of this. > > I am replacing with a Telewave ANT150F6-2 fiberglass enclosed antenna. > However, many have had problems with these and the Celwave or RFS Super > Station Master with lightning. They do not handle the lightning as well as > the DB224 due to, one reason, some use solder to hold the elements together > inside the radome. However, mine is side mounted and hope this will not be a > problem. The salt air is. > > I like the Station Master, but also like the DB224. > > On VHF one does not get easily 10 db gain out of a RFS Station Master, in > fact more like 4.7 db for the 140-150 MHz antenna. The Telewave uses a > longer fiberglass radome for its version allowing all the elements to be > inserted. > > The UHF version does have higher gain, 9 db, gain. > > The folded dipoles allow squewing the pattern easier and more than the > station master. About all it will allow is moving around and in/out from the > tower. The folded dipoles are much more flexible in this issue. > > Lots of good responses on this. Know many learned a lot. I did. > > 73, ron, n9ee/r > > > > >> Er.. uh... Excuse me, but why all this commotion about painting >> and preserving antennas??? >> >> If everyone used limited range, low gain, stacked folded dipoles, >> then maybe so, but stacked folded dipoles are a low gain limited >> range item. >> >> I've seen them used in small towns with limited coverage Public >> Safety fleets, and Local Paging, but only where limited range >> coverage is required. >> >> When I worked in Mobile Radio Communications ALL Remote Base / >> Repeater antennas were stacked coaxial antennas inside a tapered >> Fiberglass radome (Station Master type?) and operated at DC ground, >> with a properly grounded mount, which was realy a good lightning rod >> as well, where there was never a problem, and at a normally 10 db >> gain!! There are Internet aricles on building these.. >> >> Commercial / Public Safety fleets are normally of defined coverage >> areas, but we hams want to talk as far as we can... which means more >> gain, and I've never heard of anyone wanting to paint or preserve an >> antenna, for everything was enclosed except a link cornor reflector >> or beam antenna!!! >> >> Dick, W7TIO >> > > > Ron Wright, N9EE > 727-376-6575 > MICRO COMPUTER CONCEPTS > Owner 146.64 repeater Tampa Bay, FL > No tone, all are welcome. > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > >
