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| My K400 mobile mount |
Well the first day of spring just passed us by and up this way the snow is still here but soon brown grass will been reveled. I have found that the winter months takes it's tole on the antenna's. For me there is only one out door antenna the rest are snuggled in the warm attic. The outdoor antenna at home is the
High Seirra Sidekick. Having said that it has not been out for most if not all this winter. So as for antenna spring cleaning I thought I was in the clear until I tried to go mobile with my KX1. For mobile/portable operation I use the
Elecraft KX1 along with the
Diamond K400-3/8C mount and
ProAm mobile whips. My Diamond mount had taken a beating over the winter months. The 3/8 bolt I insert into the mount when no antenna is being used was rusted in and not coming
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| This bolt is not coming out click to enlarge. |
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| The overhaul begins click to enlarge |
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out. (next time I will use a stainless steel bolt) I removed the mount from the car and took it in the house to have a closer look. This bolt was not coming out so the female 3/8 coupling would have to be replaced. I also noticed once in the house the mount was over due for a major over haul. Once all cleaned up and some parts repainted then put back all back together it is time to get it back on the car and get some QRP mobile operating done.
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| The finished product |
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I will have to wait until the 3/8 fine threaded bolt is picked up before this mount will go back on the car. With spring come rain and in no time there will be rust once again and the mount will have to be overhauled once again. But for the most part the QRP mobile season is in a very short time going to begin!!!
6 comments:
Hello Mike, good work, yes, let the mobile season begin. That sounds very good. 73 Paul
Good morning Paul, yes it is my way of forcing spring in this still cold and some snow ridden "spring"....tally hooo
Good Morning Mike, looks like you have done a good job on that mount, looks nice a clean - I am the same with outdoor hardware - I like to make sure it's pristine and well oiled, I'm very fond of using "Silicone Grease", make sure everything's good and polished and dry, then give a "Liberal" smearing of it, then - just periodically polish it off and give it another dose - also I use "Harley Wax", it's a naturally occurring wax from the carnauba plant in Brazil (Check E-bay)...
And yes Qrp Portable - I had fully intended to go out last year but it didn't happen and found my self all too often out in the garden digging !
Hope that snow melts soon, we have had our dose I think, now looking forward to some decent WX.
Rgds Peter
Good morning Peter, I have not heard of Harley wax but this weekend I will get on E-bay and have a look at it. I too have used Silicone grease for the same purpose and have found it to work very well. Have have a good weekend thanks for the comment.
I miss CW mobile, used to do it all the time with a Ten-Tec Scout and later a K1. I probably shouldn't admit this, but I often did it while driving. There's nothing like working DX while driving 70 on the Interstate, hi hi!
Get a substance called anti-seize to put on those threads this time, regardless whether it is SS or not. It is a paste with some kind of powdered metal in it, at least that's what it looks like. It's used usually for engine head bolts, which take a lot of heat and can seize in the threads.
That Sidekick looks familiar. I used one of the larger Sierras, but it was always troublesome, so switched to Hustler mobile whips.
Mobile on!
Good afternoon Casey, with the anti-seize will the threads of the antenna and the female 3/8 antenna thread still make good RF contact?? I was just not sure what to use and not compromise the RF contact between antenna and mount. Up to this point I have not had any troubles with the Sidekick but it really does not see any bad weather for any period of time like it would mounted on a mobile. Thanks for stopping by the blog Casey.
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