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

[hawley, charles j jr]

I have the Preditor as well, and have found that with 100 watts they say I'm just as strong as I am at home (not sure what that really means :) ). I have always believed that QRP or LP doesn't need small components with the attached losses, but as huge as you can manage so as not to waste any power.
Anyway, Bob, N9JMX is not actively making the antennas any more...I think he sold out most of his remaining stock at Dayton last year, and is retiring from the manufacture of them and actively playing golf and fishing I think. Not sure what he is doing with his manufacturing shop, but maybe someone else may make them in the way that he did...very robust, excellent customer service.

Chuck, KE9UW
aka Jack, BMW Motorcycles BMWMOA #224

________________________________________
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net [elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] on behalf of goldtr8 at charter.net [goldtr8 at charter.net]
Sent: Friday, May 04, 2012 9:55 PM
To: Dave; Dave New, N8SBE; Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Screwdriver antennas in salt fog? [was: RE: High Sierra in qst]

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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