[Elecraft] Blown trap?

[Vic Rosenthal 4X6GP/K2VCO]

The good news is that I called MFJ, got a technician immediately, he 
agreed that the 30M trap is the problem, and said he would send me a new 
one under warranty. Elecraft-style service (so far).

The bad news is that despite the statement in the manual that it is 
rated at "1500W CW," he told me not to exceed 800-1000 watts. Not 
Elecraft-style design/documentation!

So if you have an R8 or similar antenna, be warned. I wasn't tuning up 
or running RTTY -- I was calling CQ on 40M running about 1200W.

Other bands are unchanged but 30 and 40M are gone.

Thanks to everyone that responded.

On 15 Dec 2014 15:07, David Cole wrote:
> Hi,
>
> No matter what happens, you will probably end up taking the antenna
> down...  If nothing else to check to be sure it is fine...
>
> Grab an analyzer and connect it as close to the antenna base as
> possible, and see if it is resonant on all bands...  Probably won't
> anymore.  If you are lucky, it is some strange feedline thing, or a
> connector issue, but having the antenna work on some bands, while not on
> others reeks of blown trap.  I fear your diagnosis is in fact
> correct...
>
> If you are going to "fix" it, and if it were me, I would get a trapless
> antenna of some sort...  No traps blow.  I currently use a GAP
> Challenger DX, (trapless), and have a band by band review of it at:
> http://nk7z.net/review-of-the-challenger-dx-antenna-by-gap-antenna/
>
> The antenna takes power, and does not break, I have run 1000 Watts into
> it on RTTY for 15 minutes with no issues.  I have had it up for at least
> 7 years, and I think 10 or more years.  Never a problem beyond the three
> radials coming off once...  It is a pretty good performer on 40, and 20.
> I finally got one of the mono gaps, and it does a good job.  I do take
> it down every few years and check things, and change out anything that
> looks like it is going bad.


-- 
73,
Vic, 4X6GP/K2VCO
Rehovot, Israel
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/