[Elecraft] Screwdriver antennas in salt fog? [was: RE: High Sierra in qst]

[goldtr8 at charter.net]

Wow my post sent from my android was messed up.

What I tried to say was I have a Scorpion antenna and it has gone thru 2 
winters in MI.   I am just north of Ann Arbor.

Also I do not have a trailor hitch mount it is above my bumper on the 
rear tailgate.

Hope this helps.

Don

~73
Don
KD8NNU


On Fri, May 4, 2012 at 10:55 PM, goldtr8 at charter.net wrote:

> Scorpion 2 winters in NO on my jeep. Don
> KD8NNU
>
> Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint!
>
> ----- Reply message -----
> From: "Dave" <dpbunte at gmail.com>
> Date: Fri, May 4, 2012 10:31 am
> Subject: [Elecraft] Screwdriver antennas in salt fog? [was: RE: High 
> Sierra in qst]
> To: "Dave New, N8SBE" <n8sbe at arrl.net>, <Elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
>
> Dave -I used a PREDATOR made N9JMX in Kokomo, IN.  After 5 years, 220 
> countries and None of the problems you describe, I sold it to WN9O.  I 
> am not sure they are still being made, but the SCORPION is very 
> similar in design and I would not hesitate to use one if I decide to 
> again do HF mobile.
>
> Dave - K9FN
>
> Sent from my Samsung smartphone on AT&T
>
> "Dave New, N8SBE" <n8sbe at arrl.net> wrote:
>
>> It seems that High Sierra is like a number of other screwdriver 
>> antenna
>> companies that live in California or Arizona, where they never 
>> encounter
>> winter weather with the salt fog spray that is common when driving in
>> northen climates in the winter time.
>>
>> I rebuilt my 1800HS so many times I finally tired of it (the guide on
>> the mast finally fell off, because the tiny screws threads through 
>> the
>> thin mast all stripped out), and decided to get a HiQ, based on
>> recommendations from a friend (unfortunately, he lives in Tennessee 
>> and
>> so doesn't see the kind of winter weather I get in SE Michigan).
>>
>> After one winter on a trailer hitch mount behind my Durango, the 
>> antenna
>> quit working (motor stalled), and I sent it back for repair.  Charlie 
>> at
>> HiQ called me and asked "what did you DO to this antenna?"  I said,
>> "Nothing special, just used it on my vehicle over a Michigan winter." 
>> According to Charlie, the inside of the mast was solid salt rock
>> crystal.  To his credit, although I think at the time the antenna was
>> just out of warranty, he replaced the entire unit for free.
>>
>> So, I used it through that next summer, but by November, I had traded 
>> my
>> Durango in for a Ram pickup, and wanted to change the mount to a
>> stake-mount on the pick up bed just behind the cab, for clearance for 
>> a
>> 5th wheel tow, and also to try to keep it out of the salt fog.  I
>> actually never got around to mounting it until a few weeks ago, and 
>> had
>> left the antenna stored in the garage over the winter.  When I tried 
>> it
>> out, the motor was stuck again.  I've not had time to contact HiQ 
>> again,
>> and I understand that Charlie sold/transferred the ham radio portion 
>> of
>> the business to someone else, so he can concentrate on DoD contracts,
>> which I'm sure are much more lucrative than the ham trade.  I fear 
>> that
>> this time I'll end up having to pay to replace the antenna, and these
>> things are definitely not cheap.
>>
>> So, long story short (too late):  Is there anyone on the list using
>> somebody's much-vaunted screwdriver design that has actually survived
>> northen winters where they use salt on the roads, without a lot of
>> maintenance headaches?  I would think that with the advent of the 
>> KX3, a
>> lot more folks on this list will be considering going HF mobile.
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> -- Dave, N8SBE
>>
>>
>>
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