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Maco M106 yagi rope use

9

985chicago

Member
Oct 17, 2009
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Put up a Maco M106 horz. yagi and found a recommendation in the instruction sheet to increase antenna life afterwards.
Maco recommends to prevent elements from sign and harding from the vibration from light winds . To install a 1/4" or 5/16' plastic rope through the entire lenght of the elements. This should improve the elements from over-harden and becoming brittle and prone to cracking.

Has anyone done this ? How can a rope help?
I will be taking the antenna down soon to move it ,so i am asking for suggestions.

985chicago
73's
 

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Some say the rope helps - but for me, I don't use it and never will use it.

I had a Hygain 5 element up for 24 yrs - NO ROPE!
I now have a Maco 5 element up for the last 10 yrs - NO ROPE!
 
It's one of those theory things that may be true in concept but rarely if ever shows up in practical use. As the element vibrates in a light wind the theory says that the metal will fatigue at any rigid mounting point. The rope is there to dampen the vibrations and yes it does work. I have had antennas, or parts of antennas, up for going on 30 years and never used rope and never had an alement fail from metal fatigue. I have hjad them fail from sheer ice and snow load but that's another story.
 
expanding foam ?

what about filling the elements with expanding foam to possibly give it more strength under those ice buildup or windy conditions? Anyone try this? It might help.
 
I didnt use rope but may if I ever put up another. Not to make it last but to keep it from singing. It gets really loud sometimes lol.
 
gamegetter said:
what about filling the elements with expanding foam to possibly give it more strength under those ice buildup or windy conditions? Anyone try this? It might help.
Click to expand...

I have heard this a million times. The foam will not add any strength. It will simply break up over the months/years of flexing in the wind but it will add a fair bit of unnecessary weight and you are screwed if you ever have to take the antenna apart for any reason.

Mr Clean said:
I didnt use rope but may if I ever put up another. Not to make it last but to keep it from singing. It gets really loud sometimes lol.
Click to expand...

I prefer to use plastic end caps. Cheaper, lighter, and a lot easier to work with. They are only a few cents each and I just glue them on with silicone RTV.
 
If Earth's mountains are shaped and changed by wind, water, ice, and snow, and everything built by man is ill-affected by nature even to destruction, why worry about our little dinky steps to beat Mother Nature...why even try with an antenna.

You're better off putting a little lube on the aluminum joints and on the hardware, in case your ever want to take it apart again. Then if it does break, you can easily fix it. BTW, I've had my beams up since the early 80's and I've never lost and element. I don't have to deal with ice and snow too much however. When Hurricanes come close, I take my stuff down, I don't try to beat nature...and that foam idea is really a bit idiotic if you consider that stuff is probably about 90% empty space with air.

Like QRM says, all that stuff is just more stuff. I don't even use end caps, I just let nature get it in and let it out. Nature is king.
 
Marconi said:
If Earth's mountains are shaped and changed by wind, water, ice, and snow, and everything built by man is ill-affected by nature even to destruction, why worry about our little dinky steps to beat Mother Nature...why even try . . . I just let nature get it in and let it out. Nature is king.
Click to expand...

Ah, Marconi. Among your other skills, I now learn you're a philosopher, too.

;)
 
I had a Maco 103 once and filled the elements with expanding foam insulation, which took care of the whistling and preserved the elements from the inside out. I live by the ocean and metal gets attacked by salty air and high winds. It was still like new when I sold it after a couple of years.
 
at last someone speaking from experience...i think i'll give it a try...iv'e got one whistling in this winter wind right now. don't be so quick to shoot down new ideas until you've tried em.
 
gamegetter said:
at last someone speaking from experience...i think i'll give it a try...iv'e got one whistling in this winter wind right now. don't be so quick to shoot down new ideas until you've tried em.
Click to expand...

Yes, well I did receive some negative responses when I first came up with the idea a few years back, but hey, it worked like a charm!(y)
 
I HAVE used the "expanding foam" method on a set of MoonRaker 4's. It DID help with strengthening of the elements & kept water from getting inside the elements! I've had the beam up for 15 years or so and when I get ice build up the elements dont sag nearly as much as they did before and also the SWR doesnt fluctuate at all as before,AND I no longer have water retention inside the elements that will (& has) frozen and caused splitting of the elements from expansion either! They're all buttoned up tight and still lookin great except from where a tree limb fell and bent 2 elements a couple years back :-/ This IS of course just my 1st hand experience and opinion :)
Slim-CDX-285/W8CDF
 
Slim said:
I HAVE used the "expanding foam" method on a set of MoonRaker 4's. It DID help with strengthening of the elements & kept water from getting inside the elements! I've had the beam up for 15 years or so and when I get ice build up the elements dont sag nearly as much as they did before and also the SWR doesnt fluctuate at all as before,AND I no longer have water retention inside the elements that will (& has) frozen and caused splitting of the elements from expansion either! They're all buttoned up tight and still lookin great except from where a tree limb fell and bent 2 elements a couple years back :-/ This IS of course just my 1st hand experience and opinion :)
Slim-CDX-285/W8CDF
Click to expand...

If you had water retention in yagi elements you had everything sealed too tight.Water should be able to drain out the elements due to the natural sag. I use plastic end caps on some antennas with larger elements and on the ends of the booms but make sure there is a small weeping hole in the bottom of them to allow water to drain.All element joints are taped well on my 6m beam but the ends are open. All the HF antennas are simply clamped tubing joints without any tape of other forms of sealant.To resist corrosion I use NOALOX on all aluminum-aluminum joints. In 30 years I have never had an element failure due to splitting.
 

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