[Antennas] repair of fiberglass pole

[NPAlex at aol.com]

Fiberglass and epoxy coatings will degrade in sunlight (UV) quite  quickly.  
It is not the fiberglass that degrades but the epoxy bonding  material.  
Coating with opaque, dark (black, blue colors) paint will reduce  the effect.  A 
coating of paint will add life to a badly deteriorated pole  by sanding, 
recoating with epoxy and dark paint.
 
With regard to repair of the broken pole, if hollow, use a shaped  
reinforcing stick of fiberglass or a hardwood like oak, well coated with epoxy  that is 
used as a internal splint.  A wrap of glass tape around the  outside  covering 
the break and liberally coated with epoxy will effect the  repair.  Coating 
the wire windings with epoxy and paint may effect the  resonance of the antenna 
as it is a dielectric which will have the effect of  lowering resonant 
frequency.  So some adjustment might be required.   My experience with fiberglass 
poles is you can expect a life expectancy of more  than 25 years when treated as 
described.
 
Norm W4QN
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From:  "David W Wood" <g3yxx at guildford-physio.demon.co.uk>
Subject:  [Antennas] fibre glass pole help please


I have a friend who is a  ham in EA8.
He has a vertical on the roof of his apartment block which is a  black
fibreglass telescopic pole with wire wound in a large pitch helix  around it.

A couple of weeks ago it broke in a high wind.

He has  two questions.
1.  does it degrade in U V light?
2.  what can  he paint onto it to preserve it.

TIA

David -  G3YXX