Perhaps for me weep holes would have been prudent.
Should be easy enough to correct with a battery powered drill. :p

As soon as I have my arm lengthening operation I will give it a go. Actually I plan to build a DBGH so I will be taking the single bay down before fall so I will deal with that then.

I get an arm-lengthening procedure every day when I take my two big dogs for walkies... :D

For anyone on the Wet Coast (B.C., southern Alaska, Washington State, northwest Oregon) the weep hole idea is an absolute must!

2bits, yep, best to design in the weep holes where they are called for, drill them before assembly if you can. In my photo album of my first GH10n3, you can see them in the caps on those reflector support tubes like the ones you used. You can see them in the long horizontal pipes in the end views of my GH10n3 SNAP as well, though few are needed as a happy accident. When a pipe is glued into the face of a modified snap-in tee, the tee is completely sealed. The pipes that support the active elements are open on both ends, so they drain. I am taking a chance that the rubber grommets gripping the reflector rods can keep out moisture. They are squozen by clamping the caps while they are being cemented in place. I do not want weep holes in the reflector assemblies, in order to keep out atmosphere that could damage the rubber and moist air that could damage the adhesive on the Al tape.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/picture.php?albumid=800&pictureid=4235
Aren't these just the most darling active element links? Weight? Virtually nothing. Cost? Virtually nothing. These are the first two I made by rolling Al tape over plastic drinking straws. I want to work on details of the procedure, but I would not hesitate to put these first two on a GH antenna. I would appreciate suggestions for finding a more rigid plastic commonly-available thinwall tube, preferably 1/4" dia. Solid rod would work OK, too. The 1/4" dia drinking straws I have at home, and at my local market, were the wrinkle-neck kind, so I used a couple 5/16" dia from McDonalds. I will check party supply stores for the 1/4" straws, and they will need to be rather long to be used on some antennas. The tape will make more wraps around a 1/4" tube, and, of course, a wrap of a second strip of tape can be added if desired.
The tape extends past the ends of the straw so the flattened tape ends can be folded over each other to help ensure electrical contact over the long haul. The corners are sandwiched between two Al washers, and I attached them to a spare GH frame using unpainted Al pop rivets. The tape is stiff enough that it will not roll unless it has something to roll around, so I had to use my fingers to get the tape outside the straw started. Once I have worked out a neater procedure, I will post photos if there is any interest.
I subjected the mounted links to my Tornadic Wind Antenna Test Facility (2-stroke backpack leaf blower), from all directions, steady and fluttering, including just inches from the links. There was no sign of bowing or movement or weakening of any kind from the links or their attachments, though your humble antenna builder came closer to feeling The Rapture than decorum usually permits.
Over five years ago I mounted a sample of this home center tape to a vertical Al surface that is exposed directly to the weather, and it looks as good as new, shows no sign of coming unstuck. It seems to me that these tight corner joints will maintain electrical integrity with the passage of time, continue to pass those nanoamps. I do not think it would be advisable to try to solder the tape, even though Al can be soldered, because of the effect of heat on the tape's adhesive and the straw. (see another photo in my album).
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/picture.php?albumid=800&pictureid=4237
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/picture.php?albumid=800&pictureid=4236

unclesam, I looked at your photos to admire your weep holes when I saw your new element design using soda straws and aluminum tape. Another great idea! These should really cut down on weight and yet because they are so well supported should be strong enough. Are you using them on the same mast with the fiberglass reflectors?

2bits, My GH10n3 SNAP currently under construction already had active elements and NARODs made from 1/4" copper tubing installed before I made those first rolled active element links (see GH10n3 SNAP photo album). I will not change out the copper, but the antenna would have really sparkled with those Al tape elements. I have finished the pre-assembled snap-in reflectors made from Al tape wrapped around fiberglass rods, will continue to post photos of the antenna assembly in thread ""Top Hat" GH with NARODs for VHF-HI: Major Improvement."

couldn't find the "where to buy" thread so figured toss it in here.
Wondering if anyone has ever bought aluminum tubing from this place.
was lookin at square & round tubing, haven't bought anything, seemed reasonable though.

Canadian Site & Store (Brantford, ON?)
http://www.aircraftspruce.ca/menus/me/aluminum.html?UCOUNTRY=CAN

US Site & Store( CA & GA)
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/me/aluminum.html

seemed reasonable though.

Not to me, heh. The cheapest 1/2" X 1/2" X 1/16" aluminum angle they have is $2.95 a foot. An eight foot piece of the same stuff is less that $6 at my Lowes. :)

From what I gather, most Canadians are paying less than 30 cents a foot for 1/4" aluminum rod.

I didn't look at the Canadian one very close, but seemed like around 15 bux for 12 feet of 1/4" dia tubing. Better than not being able to find it at all at ur conventional hardware store. Local Home Debit has Solid aluminum, but not not any hollow tubing. I guess Lowes is too "snobbish" for my taste for everything else they sell, so I never bother going in there.

Edit: wife wanted to go out, so convinced her to stop at Lowe's on the way home.
Lowe's doesn't have anything under $23 per 6 feet, so that's like $4 per foot for 3/4" sq tubing.
They didn't have anything at all suitable in the way of round tubing.

MajorTom, this place looks like it has good product and really not too bad on prices. The wall thickness of the tubing is .035" approx. so that should be stiff enough to handle some reasonable sized birds. I have been making my own tubing but it has a split seam and is only .010" wall thickness so this would definitely work. A GH10n3 requires about 50' of tubing and this stuff goes for $1.27- 2.50 depending on if you use 5/16" or 1/4". They also have some some soft tubing coils which are really inexpensive ($20 for 50') which could be bent for the top hats and elements. Nice find.

2bits, I just ran first reception test of GH10n3 SNAP, using reflectors of 5/16" dia fiberglass rod wrapped in Al tape, report in thread ""Top Hat" GH with NARODs for ...." Reception exceeded my expectations, so this kind of reflector works electrically. Performance is good enough that I will replace my current GH10n3, atop my 35-foot mast, with it. I expect these reflectors to survive for many years, who knows how long.

using reflectors of 5/16" dia fiberglass rod wrapped in Al tape, report in thread ""Top Hat" GH with NARODs for ...." Reception exceeded my expectations,
Thats good to know. What brand of tape was it ? Aluminum tape can vary in conductivity between brands.

I expect these reflectors to survive for many years, who knows how long.
But how long will the adhesive on the tape last outdoors ? I think the heat may do it in fairly quickly.

Home Depot sells a Nashua brand aluminum tape with a 'holding' temperature range of between -20 degrees F to 325 degrees F. I'd say that would work. :) Of course I don't know about the electrical properties......

300ohm, Thats good to know. What brand of tape was it ? Aluminum tape can vary in conductivity between brands.
I used tape from a roll I bought from Home Center over five years ago, and the roll has no marking on it. I took a chance and used the tape I had, because I have no way of knowing or measuring the relative conductivity of this roll or any of the other tapes on the market.
But how long will the adhesive on the tape last outdoors ? I think the heat may do it in fairly quickly. More than five years ago I stuck a tab from this roll onto an outdoor vertical Al surface, exposed directly to mid-Atlantic U.S. weather. The tab shows no sign of damage, is still slick and shiny, shows no sign of becoming unstuck. If I had it to do from scratch, I would choose the premium tape sold in home centers that has adhesive with the widest temp range, Home Depot sells a Nashua brand aluminum tape with a 'holding' temperature range of between -20 degrees F to 325 degrees F. I'd say that would work. and take my chances with the conductivity issue.

2bits, I just ran first reception test of GH10n3 SNAP, using reflectors of 5/16" dia fiberglass rod wrapped in Al tape, report in thread ""Top Hat" GH with NARODs for ...." Reception exceeded my expectations, so this kind of reflector works electrically.
Nice job unclesam. As you imply, I suspect that accuracy is cheapest way to improve performance and your reflectors are very true and should withstand birds, winds and small UFOs with ease. Thanks for the feedback. It opens up some possibilities.

I shouldnt have wrote heat, because it is made for heating and cooling ducts, duh heh. I was thinking more of UV rays and the rain which duct work isnt exposed to. But its good to know you have a piece outdoors sticking for 5 years. Since its still shiny, that indicates that its composed of materials in addition to aluminum.

Speaking of UV.....

Maybe another alternative could be to simply cut the rods to length, lightly scuff the surface, tape off the various center gaps and spray them with an automotive grade primer (gray). Top coat with 2 or 3 coats of aluminum paint (the kind with suspended aluminum particles) then top that with an automotive grade UV stablized clear coat.

This way there wouldn't be any seam to lift or be exposed to the elements. Of course I don't know if the clear coat would impact the functionality.

Just a thought....

I don't know if the clear coat would impact the functionalityAs always with paint/primer, take extreme precautions that it does not have any metallic properties to it:

OTA Waterproofing, Sealants, Adhesives, Paint, Enclosures (http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=104181)

2bits, curious, how are you making your own tubing?