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Antenna install "Lesson Learned"

NightOwl3261

NightOwl3261

Well-Known Member
Jul 24, 2020
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So 2 weeks ago I put up a Sirio 1600. Very impressed with the quality and flat SWR over such wide range of frequencies. Then 2 weeks later the SWR went to hell. Looked up and noticed the top section dropped into the 2nd section so obviously the reduced length was the issue. Brought it all down and the set screw was gone and just the vibration of winds caused it to back out. It's not like this is my first antenna install. Its not like I didn't think about these things during assembly. Its just that thought " ahhh it will be fine" that jacked me! I had the tape and didn't want to stop a run and get some locktite.

So what did I learn?


Use lock tite blue on every screw and wrap each joint with silicon rubber sealing tape as back up.
A little up front extra time would have saved me doing it all over again. I hate doing things twice and this install was for a friend so I should have taken some extra steps the 1st time. So have locktite and tape the first time and don't do it twice like me! Taking back down antennas succccckkkkkssss...

So tell about your installs and the one that bit you
In the ASS...
 
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Since i have to climb on the slanted roof for antenna work, i make a list off things to do before doing any work, including stainless steel stuff to fasten my stuff on the roof, selfamalgamating tape, ( locking screws and watertight connectors, enough tools to do the job, some spare stuff and work safely.
Replaced this year the 18 year old Imax 2000 who lost the top section this spring, and replaced th e Diamond X510N 2/70 vertical after carefull inspection on the ground and testing them on the ground. the applied 2 coats of polyester paint to give them an extra protection.
Now on the roof, new very low loss coax, stainless steel mounting hardware, all connections taped up with the self amalgamating tape.
Do that since 43 years being ham, never had a failiure on the roof.
And yes, I'm 68 years ( young).... pity the mirror shows different...;)
 
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Hello All: I take it NightOwl326 is using sheet metal type screws in the antenna tubing vertical section. Mike Sp5it is right in his photo showing stainless steel screws going thru the tubing to hold it together, that's a bullet proof way of doing it.

For tubing that may need to have its length adjusted I use Breeze Aero Seal type hose clamps. Yeah there are more money but hold tight over the tears. See:

http://www.breezehoseclamps.com/

Also be advised that using Stainless Steel Screws, nuts, and U-Bolts need some anti sez compound on them so that they can be removed if needed at a later date. Especially the U-Bolts.

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert
 
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Years ago I had just done some major maintenance on all my antennas on what was then a 40 foot tower. The three element tribander had suffered some major damage from a severe wind and ice storm the previous winter. I took it down and basically rebuilt it and pulled the six element 6m yagi and eleven element 2m yagi down to check out as well. I put them all back up by myself. Some time later I drove into the yard and noticed the stack was pointed in a direction that I didn't remember pointing it but thought nothing of it. Later I went into the shack and turned the rotator unit on and it was where I had left it the last time I used it. Went out to look at the stack and it was close to the indicator. HUNNNH?? A day or two later I looked out and it was waaaay off from the indicator and as I watched it in the wind the entire stack moved about 45 degrees. After the wind died down I put my climbing gear back on and climbed the tower to tighten the rotator mast clamps that I had forgotten to tighten when I reinstalled the antennas. Won't make that mistake a second time.
 
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Captain Kilowatt said:
Years ago I had just done some major maintenance on all my antennas on what was then a 40 foot tower. The three element tribander had suffered some major damage from a severe wind and ice storm the previous winter. I took it down and basically rebuilt it and pulled the six element 6m yagi and eleven element 2m yagi down to check out as well. I put them all back up by myself. Some time later I drove into the yard and noticed the stack was pointed in a direction that I didn't remember pointing it but thought nothing of it. Later I went into the shack and turned the rotator unit on and it was where I had left it the last time I used it. Went out to look at the stack and it was close to the indicator. HUNNNH?? A day or two later I looked out and it was way off from the indicator and as I watched it in the wind the entire stack moved about 45 degrees. After the wind died down I put my climbing gear back on and climbed the tower to tighten the rotator mast clamps that I had forgotten to tighten when I reinstalled the antennas. Won't make that mistake a second time.
Click to expand...

ANOTHER NOTE: There is always the debate from tower people when rotors used, about installing OR not installing the "shear pin".
This pin keeps the mast from spinning in the event of clamps coming loose, rust breakage etc.
I always installed the shear pin. The rotor I was using called for a 7mm soft aluminum shear pin. That being said, a very close Tornado came past; and a few days after I noticed the 4 element Tri-Bander, my stacked 15's on 2 meters plus a 5/8th's wave 10 meter ground plane (80ft to base) rocking back and forth pretty wildly in a moderate wind.
Thus when the wind died down few days later, up the 54 ft. free standing tower I went.
I found a broken "shear pin' which goes thru the mast clamps. The brake was still holding but like most it will allow a 10-15+ degree swing in the antennas during high winds.
The last thing I wanted was to loose the rotor needing it's replacement / rebuilding allowing the antennas to "free wheel" in the wind until repairs were made..:eek::mad:
I do not a that time have a spare rotor.
I tighten up and inspected the clamps etc. while I was up there, everything looked in order. I came back down the tower, feeling certain I had a spare shear pin.
I found I was wrong....So I looked around the shop and barn to find a "suitable" substitute, best I found was a maybe 9-10mm soft "steel" stove bolt.!!!!
I will end this story with DON'T EVER DO THAT!!!!
Why, you ask? This ends badly.
A couple years later we had the remnants of a Hurricane (IKE, I think) it parked over Indiana. We experienced 60+ mph winds for several HOURS, the "replacement shear pin" held, and so did the brake in the rotor.
However the antennas and tower twisting in the wind hard to one direction, with the tower now about 15++ years old at about 12-15 feet from the bottom the rivets in one of the X braces broke!!!!:eek::mad:
The rest is history, the tower twisted and dropped the entire works of antennas crashing them into the roof of my barn. Thank God not the house!! The roof on the barn had to be replaced!
My antenna farm has never recovered to be as good as it was before the storm.:(
Lesson learned, the hard way.:cry:
The present 2 tower system rotors have NO "shear pins":ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
All the Best
Gary
 
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Many Sirio 827, 1600 antennas have been in service for a decade problem free. As I have gotten older I also try not to over think things. This is a $200 antenna so if it needs to be replaced 5-10 years so be it. Some don't use the factory sleeves and screws and cut slots and use clamps instead of factory supplied parts. To me that is overkill but to each his own. I was being lazy and did not use what has been fail free for me for many years. Loctite and sealing tape at each section which 100% stops water infiltration and fasteners are completely wrapped. Also I used a longer set screw at the top section so the tape wrap puts addrional pressure on the set screw.

I had an original SP500 up for over 20 with nothing but supplied hardware and it was as good as new when I took it down. Sold it for 3 times what I paid for it. The wind will kill any antenna I install before hardware fails.
 
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BJ radionut said:
ANOTHER NOTE: There is always the debate from tower people when rotors used, about installing OR not installing the "shear pin".
This pin keeps the mast from spinning in the event of clamps coming loose, rust breakage etc.
I always installed the shear pin. The rotor I was using called for a 7mm soft aluminum shear pin. That being said, a very close Tornado came past; and a few days after I noticed the 4 element Tri-Bander, my stacked 15's on 2 meters plus a 5/8th's wave 10 meter ground plane (80ft to base) rocking back and forth pretty wildly in a moderate wind.
Thus when the wind died down few days later, up the 54 ft. free standing tower I went.
I found a broken "shear pin' which goes thru the mast clamps. The brake was still holding but like most it will allow a 10-15+ degree swing in the antennas during high winds.
The last thing I wanted was to loose the rotor needing it's replacement / rebuilding allowing the antennas to "free wheel" in the wind until repairs were made..:eek::mad:
I do not a that time have a spare rotor.
I tighten up and inspected the clamps etc. while I was up there, everything looked in order. I came back down the tower, feeling certain I had a spare shear pin.
I found I was wrong....So I looked around the shop and barn to find a "suitable" substitute, best I found was a maybe 9-10mm soft "steel" stove bolt.!!!!
I will end this story with DON'T EVER DO THAT!!!!
Why, you ask? This ends badly.
A couple years later we had the remnants of a Hurricane (IKE, I think) it parked over Indiana. We experienced 60+ mph winds for several HOURS, the "replacement shear pin" held, and so did the brake in the rotor.
However the antennas and tower twisting in the wind hard to one direction, with the tower now about 15++ years old at about 12-15 feet from the bottom the rivets in one of the X braces broke!!!!:eek::mad:
The rest is history, the tower twisted and dropped the entire works of antennas crashing them into the roof of my barn. Thank God not the house!! The roof on the barn had to be replaced!
My antenna farm has never recovered to be as good as it was before the storm.:(
Lesson learned, the hard way.:cry:
The present 2 tower system rotors have NO "shear pins":ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
All the Best
Gary
Click to expand...

I'm still on the fence regarding installing a pin. The rotator, Yaesu G-2800DXA, has a hole in the mast clamps to install one and Yaesu recommends it be done. The old rotator was a CDE type and I drilled and threaded a hole in one of the mast clamps and used a 1/4 inch bolt that I ground to a point and tightened it against the mast rather than through it completely. I might do the same or perhaps install a 1/4 inch (6mm) brass bolt thru it if I cannot find an aluminum bolt.
 
BJ radionut said:
ANOTHER NOTE: There is always the debate from tower people when rotors used, about installing OR not installing the "shear pin".
This pin keeps the mast from spinning in the event of clamps coming loose, rust breakage etc.
I always installed the shear pin. The rotor I was using called for a 7mm soft aluminum shear pin. That being said, a very close Tornado came past; and a few days after I noticed the 4 element Tri-Bander, my stacked 15's on 2 meters plus a 5/8th's wave 10 meter ground plane (80ft to base) rocking back and forth pretty wildly in a moderate wind.
Thus when the wind died down few days later, up the 54 ft. free standing tower I went.
I found a broken "shear pin' which goes thru the mast clamps. The brake was still holding but like most it will allow a 10-15+ degree swing in the antennas during high winds.
The last thing I wanted was to loose the rotor needing it's replacement / rebuilding allowing the antennas to "free wheel" in the wind until repairs were made..:eek::mad:
I do not a that time have a spare rotor.
I tighten up and inspected the clamps etc. while I was up there, everything looked in order. I came back down the tower, feeling certain I had a spare shear pin.
I found I was wrong....So I looked around the shop and barn to find a "suitable" substitute, best I found was a maybe 9-10mm soft "steel" stove bolt.!!!!
I will end this story with DON'T EVER DO THAT!!!!
Why, you ask? This ends badly.
A couple years later we had the remnants of a Hurricane (IKE, I think) it parked over Indiana. We experienced 60+ mph winds for several HOURS, the "replacement shear pin" held, and so did the brake in the rotor.
However the antennas and tower twisting in the wind hard to one direction, with the tower now about 15++ years old at about 12-15 feet from the bottom the rivets in one of the X braces broke!!!!:eek::mad:
The rest is history, the tower twisted and dropped the entire works of antennas crashing them into the roof of my barn. Thank God not the house!! The roof on the barn had to be replaced!
My antenna farm has never recovered to be as good as it was before the storm.:(
Lesson learned, the hard way.:cry:
The present 2 tower system rotors have NO "shear pins":ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
All the Best
Gary
Click to expand...

Wow!

.
 

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