[Elecraft] OT antenna question -- solved, soon to be fixed

[Vic Rosenthal]

I asked my XYL to press the key and watch the SWR meter, and to let go 
when it hit 3:1. Then she ran out and waved to me on the roof, at which 
point I went up the ladder and felt the bolts. Very high tech.

If I'm right that it's the bolt material, just changing to brass bolts 
should work.

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

On 14 Jan 2016 20:14, ac5p at sbcglobal.net wrote:
> Nice work Vic!  Let us know how you determined the stainless screws to
> be heating?  Do you have an IR sensing gun with a tight pattern?
> Also be curious to hear how you plan to change the connection method and
> if successful?  All I can think of is a stainless hose clamp.
>
> 73, Mike  AC5P
>
>
> On Thursday, January 14, 2016 11:40 AM, Vic Rosenthal 4X6GP/K2VCO
> <k2vco.vic at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> I would like to thank the numerous hams who responded to my plea for help.
>
> The problem that was causing my SWR to rise with high power was not in
> my shack. The tuner, balun, coax and open wire line were all 100%. The
> trouble was at the connection of the feedline to the antenna.
>
> The connection was made where stainless steel bolts passed through the
> tubing. The bolts heated up rapidly when running over 500w. At first I
> thought the connection was poor, but improving it did not help. From the
> way it was heating (away from the point of contact of the lugs to the
> antenna tubing) I think that it was due to the ferrous material
> (stainless steel) of the bolts heating due to eddy currents in the
> strong RF field.
>
> I have experienced this phenomenon in amplifiers, but never an antenna!
>
> I will change the method of connecting the line on Sunday and I hope it
> will solve the problem.
> --
> 73,
> Vic, 4X6GP/K2VCO
> Rehovot, Israel
> http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/