Painting an aluminum antenna

[tvaverde]

I know painting an antenna has already bean talked about , but when you paint aluminum you need an etching primer for the paint to stick.
My question is will etching primer affect the tx/rx ?

 

[W5LZ]

Only if it eats away all the metal.
- 'Doc

Don't paint the insulators.

 

[tvaverde]

Lol.
Point taken,
thanks for the quick response Doc.

 

[vo1ks]

Be careful not to use metallic paint so you don't accidentally shield the entire antenna.

 

[tvaverde]

Thanks vo1ks, just doing flat black. Can I just use regular krylon ?

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

i'll suggest sanding all the surfaces you want to paint to help the paint hold better

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

Paint thinner and tack cloth. It would be nice to get one anodized a certain color
Talking about eatin away. We use acid to clean concrete film off our trucks. At one time we used phosphoric acid. I had a little acid sitting in a 5 gal. Bucket and threw an empty soda(aluminum)can in it on a Friday afternoon. When I showed up for work that following Monday,the part of the soda can that sat in the acid was completely dissolved with nothing but the top of the can and the plastic soda can inner liner was left. Always neutralize what you've cleaned with acid or else the process will continue with moisture that's in the air.

 

[tvaverde]

Thanks for all the input guys.
I'm amazed at how helpful people are on this forum.

 

[Onthecoast]

Just painted my ringo ranger and it is working fine. I did cover the insulators though.

 

[TonyV225]

Im gonna try recovering my Imax 2000 with that flexSeal and see how that works and often think it would work well on the aluminum beams and antennas I have aswell because it is rubber and flexable so it wont chip or crack when flexed or bent.

 

[Mudfoot]

Soda blast it if'n you got the tools.

 

[tvaverde]

FYI. If your going to sand a fiber glass antenna , use rubber gloves. I learned the hard way .

 

[Brake Weight]

Plasti-Dip.

 

[tvaverde]

 

[Al n3izr]

painting antennas

I had painted a Hustler Antenna with brake caliper paint.
no remarks on can about metal in it that messed it up
real bad SWR of 2 to 1 . So I striped it found a new
paint (red) flat and clear coat also redid paint job
SWR is just find now. O if your redoing a old antenna
I found Car Interior Spray Paint works well for redoing
your plastic parts.
73s Al