I-Beams aren't so good, torsionally
You may end up with an antenna that twists in the breeze.
You may end up with an antenna that twists in the breeze.
Best Plastics, Composites, Rubber for structural antenna parts
Just a warning note about using ABS for structural parts that I've mentioned many times before - hopefully what you're planning to use is the thick walled stuff that has little or no flex. If you go to Rona or Lowe's or Home Depot and shake a 10 foot ABS pipe like a sword it flexes a lot. 
It seems to be rigid, but its not. If you shake a length of PVC like that it will seem like a wet noodle, so avoid using PVC for structural use either, except when recommended in build plans.
From experience I'm clarifying that ABS should never be used as a pole or mast, and it should be carefully considered if you're thinking of using it as a horizontal boom of any length more than a meter or a few feet.
It seems to be rigid, but its not. If you shake a length of PVC like that it will seem like a wet noodle, so avoid using PVC for structural use either, except when recommended in build plans.From experience I'm clarifying that ABS should never be used as a pole or mast, and it should be carefully considered if you're thinking of using it as a horizontal boom of any length more than a meter or a few feet.
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Good point.
Maybe I can bend them in an L configuration... like angle iron.
Depending on what happens Sep 1/11, I'm hoping this will end up in my attic -- so no worries about wind. But I want to see how strong it could be in case it helps someone else pursue something similar sometime later.
I was just going to go ahead with 1x4 lumber, but thought this might have a bigger cool factor.
I have a real brutal SBGH made out of 14-gauge copper on a piece of plywood and no reflector -- so it's performance after the switch will have an effect on how fast I try this.
Except that angle iron (mild steel) can generally withstand about 10,000 PSI of pressure while PVC or ABS... not so much. Not anywhere remotely so much!allanGEE said:
I agree with those in the tubular/square tube camp for structural rigidity in plastic.
Plastic Plug for Half-Inch CPVC Pipe
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I found these plastic caps for plugging the ends of the half-inch CPVC pipes I used on my GH10n3 antennas. They take up less space than conventional pipe caps. They are sold in the wide slide-out trays of assorted components at TruValue, for covering the heads of screws. Details in my photo album about construction of GH10n3 SNAP antenna.
I found these plastic caps for plugging the ends of the half-inch CPVC pipes I used on my GH10n3 antennas. They take up less space than conventional pipe caps. They are sold in the wide slide-out trays of assorted components at TruValue, for covering the heads of screws. Details in my photo album about construction of GH10n3 SNAP antenna.
Black Tie Wraps
Thanks 300ohm, thats a good review!
Yes, I guess fuchsia wouldn't be an option
Are ALL BLACK tie wraps considered UV resistant...I've used some which were specified UV resistant, but many which are not specified, in either case after several years of wear they are still doing the job...
Thanks 300ohm, thats a good review!
Yes, I guess fuchsia wouldn't be an option
Are ALL BLACK tie wraps considered UV resistant...I've used some which were specified UV resistant, but many which are not specified, in either case after several years of wear they are still doing the job...
Fuchsia fine if you have a fuchsia colored house. My brother has a woman in his neighborhood who has bright fuchsia colored siding with a black roof, heh. (She likes the color fuchsia )
)Thats good to know. I usually try to buy ones that say UV resistant on the package (they could be lying anyway), but some at Harbor Freight dont and I wonder about it.
This is what I did to protect the balun on my curved mesh GH10.
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Theres also weep holes drilled in the bottom to let any water that does get in, get out fast.
Nothing glued, just #4 wood screws to hold things in place.
Theres also weep holes drilled in the bottom to let any water that does get in, get out fast.
Nothing glued, just #4 wood screws to hold things in place.
Grey pvc electrical boxes could also be used as balun protection.
Ill repost this here in the plastics thread.
White nylon cable ties do have a use outdoors : as automatic timed release devices.
On my first DBGH colinear rod build, I used fiberglass tent poles and cable ties to keep the rods in place and in plane. I had glued the rods into the pvc pipe with Plumber Goop. Since I used white nylon cable ties, they deteriorated after about a year and half and the fiberglass tent poles fell off by themselves. The Plumber Goop in the meantime had fully hardened, and when the fiberglass tent poles fell off, the reflector rods remained in perfect alignment.
Even though I did that by accident, it could be a good tip for someone with a tall tower thats not easy to climb.
Ill repost this here in the plastics thread.
White nylon cable ties do have a use outdoors : as automatic timed release devices.
On my first DBGH colinear rod build, I used fiberglass tent poles and cable ties to keep the rods in place and in plane. I had glued the rods into the pvc pipe with Plumber Goop. Since I used white nylon cable ties, they deteriorated after about a year and half and the fiberglass tent poles fell off by themselves. The Plumber Goop in the meantime had fully hardened, and when the fiberglass tent poles fell off, the reflector rods remained in perfect alignment.
Even though I did that by accident, it could be a good tip for someone with a tall tower thats not easy to climb.
Looked at website referred to by 300 ohm.
It also has information about Solvent Cement Joining - applicable to ABS, CPVC and PVC, but not to Polyethylene (PE and PEX).
PE and PEX cannot be joined with solvent cement!
(My emphasis and exclamation)
The site's FAQs says the following about PVC's UV resistance and warns against using oil based paint:
It also has information about Solvent Cement Joining - applicable to ABS, CPVC and PVC, but not to Polyethylene (PE and PEX).
PE and PEX cannot be joined with solvent cement!
(My emphasis and exclamation)
The site's FAQs says the following about PVC's UV resistance and warns against using oil based paint:
I used solvent based paint on some white PVC fittings in my GH build, but by pure luck I primed them with Zinsser 1-2-3 latex primer first. The can says it's "Excellent" for PVC, so I should be OK, eh?
Yeah, I used the cheapest flat 96 cent indoor/outdoor spray I could find on my first GH build that used white pvc (that was before I discovered the grey stuff, heh). After 3 years, its held up very well outdoors. I only used 1 thin coat, just enough to cover. Using many or thick coats it will peal, whereas 1 thin coat will just slowly fade. Ive also done the same on outdoor white pvc trellises and sump pump drains for over a decade, and theyre still in great shape. Kelly green blends in nicely with leaves and grass.
Zinsser 1-2-3 latex primer is good stuff and I use it on wood. But for pvc its probably overkill.
Plumbers Goop works fine with PEX, at least for antenna usage. Maybe not for water pressure though. Im not really a big fan of using PEX for water usage either. The connections just seem weak and flimsy.
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