I'm Going outside and Playing Antennas Today.

[Tom WA3KLR]

This time when they are down Jack, consider spraying them with clear Krylon.  Then forget re-polishing.  Life is too short.

[W2JBL]

they corode from lack of RF being applied to them. try getting on the air more.

[Jim, W5JO]

Jack, be careful using steel wool on aluminum.  The stuff that prevents aluminum from corroding is a coating on top and if you wool if off, then you have bare aluminum that will oxidize.  In a few years you will be replacing those elements, they will turn to chalk.

Get some of that perserative from HRO and coat them or if you want them bright, use vinegar and scotchbrite pads.

[W2VW]

Aluminum dust will make you senile too. Avoid alumunum dust.

[Ed W1XAW]

Aluminum dust will make you senile too. Avoid alumunum dust.

Funny thing,  this is the second time I heard this today.  I was talking with a guy who is diving on the mooring next to mine and he mentioned that everybody used to laugh at his steel tanks but now they are all moving back to them because of alumiunum dust. . . never hear it before today.

Ec

[Art]

Hi Ed . . . 'was on the Humboldt and Cook Inlet out of Portland for a while . . .  on the Aluminum. . .  check out your toothpaste and deoderant and switch from them too if you are trying to avoid daily exposure . . . they commonly have a high concentration of AL . . .
73
Art

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Good Morning AM Forum.

 Does anybody else take down their VHF and UHF Antennas like i do every summer to be cleaned Steel wooled and Britened up  :D

It's a Gooder thing to do , I think ...

Now everybody Play Nice... and if your working AM today be a Strapper Make us proud...


Gooooood day.. :D

As Jim points out, it's not a good thing to do. And is a waste of time. A bright and shiny element doesn't work any better when exposed to the elements. I hope you don't clean and shine your wire antennas. However, my car seems to run better after I wash and wax it.

[Jim, W5JO]

Funny thing about aluminum, it was in almost all stomach remidies (Rolaids, Tums and such) years back and the goverment forced the manufacturers to quit using it.  They switched to calcium.  

Guess what is in Prilosec, Protonix and Nexium?

[Jack-KA3ZLR-]

Interesting,

 Taking Down Aluminum Antennas and Checking for corrosion and bad fittings and connectors is a bad thing, Wow, I do Spray Mine, I've done that for years, I also service the Gamma matches, clean them up, Clean the threads, Check all hardware for corrosion if any and steel wool what needs it, then respray and up they go.. New stainless if needed especially the lock washers...

Awesum...

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Interesting,

 Taking Down Aluminum Antennas and Checking for corrosion and bad fittings and connectors is a bad thing, Wow, I do Spray Mine, I've done that for years, I also service the Gamma matches, clean them up, Clean the threads, Check all hardware for corrosion if any and steel wool what needs it, then respray and up they go.. New stainless if needed especially the lock washers...

Awesum...

We never said checking for corrosion and bad fittings and connectors was a bad thing. But you initially said, " Does anybody else take down their VHF and UHF Antennas like i do every summer to be cleaned Steel wooled and Britened up"

[Jack-KA3ZLR-]

On Second thought Forget i even mentioned it... Pardon Me...

[K1JJ]

Back maybe 4 months ago I axed vhf/uhf guru K1FO about openwire
for 6M. He said not to use bare copper - when it corroded and left
that dark film on the surface, the losses would mount. Skin effect.
He recommended using enamel covered copper, which is what I did
for my 6M array.

So, there probably is something to having a clean surface on VHF
and UHF, but he was talking about copper. For aluminum, I believe it
doesn't matter, maybe because the oxidation is thinner or
whatever. Yes, aluminum does form a protective covering
naturally. But, I've never heard a UHF or even a SHF guru
mention anything about cleaning the alum elements to
improve performance.  
[Being type A, I'm sure glad about that!   :lol: ]

Connections/connectors/feedlines of course, need to be clean
and free of moisture or expect to lose 10's of db's at those freqs.

T

[W2VW]

A real type A would Silver plate the copper. The oxidation is better than clean Silver for R.F. current. Get out the CoolAmp.

[Jim, W5JO]

And silver oxide is conductive.

[w3jn]

That would all be great if the black coating you see on silver was silver oxide, but it ain't.  Silver tarnish is silver SULFIDE which, although conductive, isn't as conductive as silver oxide or nearly as conductive as metallic silver.

[Jim, W5JO]

Either is more conductive than powdered aluminum.