[Boatanchors] antenna question

[D C _Mac_ Macdonald]

I don't think I'd advise flushing out with water! 
 
If Hy-Gain only used two traps on the driven element, that trap did double duty (like the Mosley traps). The first winding (closest to the boom) makes a parallel resonant insulator (trap) for 28 MHz energy in conjunction with the capacitance of the "shield" of the trap. The outer winding and case block 21 MHz energy from getting to the outer portion of the element. BOTH coils in the trap act as center loading to put the whole element resonant on 14 MHz. 
 
You will need to carefully disassemble the two traps on the driven element and ensure that no crud has gotten in there (hornet nest??? or mud) and that all connections in those traps are clean and solid. 
 
* * * * * * * * * * * 
* 73 - Mac, K2GKK/5 * 
* (Since 30 Nov 53) * 
* k2gkk hotmail com * 
* Oklahoma City, OK * 
* USAF & FAA (Ret.) * 
* * * * * * * * * * * 
 

 
> From: rayfrijr at msn.com
> To: gzook at yahoo.com; anchor at ec.rr.com; boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
> Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 20:22:35 -0600
> Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] antenna question
> 
> Assuming it is something inside the trap..    I am planning on taking the tower off the carport and ground mounting it soon..
> what's the process for fixing the trap?    I've heard the plastic end caps can slide off ...  do I just take them off and flush out
> the trap with water or is there some other thing I should do?
> 
> Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 19:06:05 -0700
> From: gzook at yahoo.com
> Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] antenna question
> To: rayfrijr at msn.com; anchor at ec.rr.com; boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
> 
> Very easy!  Spiders can crawl up just about anything!  I sometimes find one at the top of my 54-foot tower,
> I also have a squirrel who likes to climb my tower on a regular basis.  He, or she, usually goes to the top, look around for a couple of minutes, and then
>  climb down.  I have seen the squirrel slightly out on my lower yagi which is a 20-meter 3-element. Glen, K9STH
> 
> 
> 
> Website:  http://k9sth.net 
> 
>      On Sunday, August 24, 2014 8:16 PM, RAY FRIESS <rayfrijr at msn.com> wrote:
>     
> 
>  Really?    I think I have heard that before, but I've never figured out how a spider could crawl up a 30 foot towerand out a 12 foot element to get into the small hole that traps have for moisture draining.> Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 19:07:47 -0400> From: anchor at ec.rr.com> To: rayfrijr at msn.com; boatanchors at mailman.qth.net> Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] antenna question> > Hi,>     Just something to look for, some beam traps have a problem with spiders > getting in and building nests which cause tuning problems. (It's > happened to me.)> 73,> > Al, W8UT> www.boatanchors.org> www.hammarlund.info> > "There is nothing --
>  absolutely nothing -- half so much> worth doing as simply messing about in boats"> Ratty, to Mole> > On 8/24/2014 6:33 PM, RAY FRIESS wrote:> > I'm a bit puzzled about something even after about 40  years as a ham.  Would be interested in comments or> > thoughts from the group.> >> > I have a triband beam for 10, 15 and 20.  It's one of the old Hy-Gain Explorer beams.  It has two traps in the reflector> > and two in the driven elevent and four traps in the director.    It worked perfectly on all three bands for a long long time,> > and now on 15 it is unusable, but remains perfect on 20 and 10.> >> > As I understand the operation of the driven element, everything
>  (element wise) between the boom and the trap is for 10 and 15 meters.  Everything from the outside of the trap to the end of the element is for 20 meters.> >> > My problem is this...  I have a fantastic SWR on 20 and 10 ...  practically a 1.2 to 1 on each band across the entire band.> > I am able to work just about anything I can hear with 100 watts barefoot, and seldom have to turn on the 30L-1 except> > in big pileups.   However, on 15, the beam is unusable.  It pegs the SWR meter at infinity and in my TS 50, the protection> > circuit drops the power output from 100 watts to barely visible.> >> > My question is this ...   what could be causing the high SWR on 15 meters, while not affecting 20 and 10 at all?> > If everything from the outer
>  edge of the trap to the end of the element is for 20 and the trap is for 15/10 discrimination,> > shouldn't 20 SWR also be through the roof if the trap was bad on 15?  The RF for 20 has to go through the trap and> > if it has gone bad on 15, wouldn't it also mess up 20?> >> > what should I be looking for or at?> >                           > >