Bought this antenna 2 years ago. Within the first week, the cheesy copper reflector came off. Okay, I pulled it down and fixed it. (Takes 4 men to lower and raise my tower).
Then a week later the rotator stripped and the cheesy cheap copper wire broke again. I left it dangle for a year and a half and lived in spite like it was a dirty ex wife and just talked on my Antron.
I finally pulled it down the other day. I straightened it all out, tightened all the joints, replaced the rusty screws, remeasured and realigned it, replaced the cheap braided copper with some solid stiff 8 gauge, and redid the copper connectors with my own design so I don’t have a repeat.
Now I balk at the thought of buying another rotator. I’m thinking about just pointing it north, so I can pick up north and south traffic on I-57 which I live close to, and hoisting it up and not looking back.
Is this just a bad idea? I can’t shell out the coin for another rotator right now. Is this the sort of antenna that absolutely must be turned a lot? I figured since it has a vertical then I should still be able to get out locally and maybe pick some far away stuff up. It will be 20 feet higher than my Antron.
Then a week later the rotator stripped and the cheesy cheap copper wire broke again. I left it dangle for a year and a half and lived in spite like it was a dirty ex wife and just talked on my Antron.
I finally pulled it down the other day. I straightened it all out, tightened all the joints, replaced the rusty screws, remeasured and realigned it, replaced the cheap braided copper with some solid stiff 8 gauge, and redid the copper connectors with my own design so I don’t have a repeat.
Now I balk at the thought of buying another rotator. I’m thinking about just pointing it north, so I can pick up north and south traffic on I-57 which I live close to, and hoisting it up and not looking back.
Is this just a bad idea? I can’t shell out the coin for another rotator right now. Is this the sort of antenna that absolutely must be turned a lot? I figured since it has a vertical then I should still be able to get out locally and maybe pick some far away stuff up. It will be 20 feet higher than my Antron.