| Index | Thread | Archive | May-2003 | Archive | Send |
 |
  |
 |
   |
|
  |
|
factory failure...Agreed that my info is anecdotal and exclusively my experience but I have numerous friends using many F12 antennas and all have the same good experience as I have had. Maybe luck...maybe not. I have 47 F12 elements in the air on one tower... some up for the past five years. Some have been up and down several times to move QTH's. On each opportunity we have hand checked each antenna thoroughly and found no/zip/nada...failures of rivets or boom bolts. Last night here in middle Tn, on top of this 800' hill, we had three tornados within 10 miles of me, wind gusts to 80mph or more confirmed, trees ripped up and tossed onto the interstate within a mile of my home, large brick homes flattened and industrial parks almost destroyed....yet today, the three stack of C31's, (one C32), the Mag 340N and 180B look no different and are in perfect condition. The lightning was so intense that it looked like daylight and at 2:30am I witnessed the 80' trees on my property bending in every possible configuration as I watched these F12's being battered beyond reason...not just "windload" but wind from every direction simultaneously, including updrafts and swirling mega gusts....and they are all just fine. I watched and seriously thought the whole tower would come down..this was the worst I have seen since I got a direct hit from the F4 here in Nashville in '98. Point being, these antennas hold up well even when mother nature pushes them beyond reasonable expectation. Would I buy F12 again..yes sir...have a new C3 and C4 ready to go up tower #2 very soon. Would I buy brand X? Not a chance. We are in for more as I speak, tornado/severe thunderstorm warning at this moment...hope I haven't jinxed myself :) 73, Tommy WD4K/WZ5V -----Original Message----- From: Andrew Williamson [mailto:andrew@gi0nwg.freeserve.co.uk] Sent: Monday, May 05, 2003 3:52 PM To: Force12Talk@qth.com Subject: Re: [Force 12 Talk] Force 12 vs. Tennadyne In message <E19CefH-0004QQ-3I.2003-05-05-13-01-54@imailg2.svr.pol.co.uk> , Jim Schnaidt <KJ0M@mchsi.com> writes >>I've replaced a battered and broken Tennadyne with the C31XR. The >>Tennadyne has a fatal flaw -- with the elements mounted inside the boom, >>the boom will wear and break over time. I had this happen once and had >>to replace the rear boom section. After the ice storm last November, >>the Tennadyne was badly bent. It was taken down and I inspected the >>rear element -- sure enough the boom was breaking again. >> >>The logs loose 2-3 db per band when compared with comparable tri-banders >>so that's why I've gone with the C31XR which by all reports is a killer. >>I'll figure out something for the WARC bands. >>Good Luck! > >Ever thought of the Force 12 5BA? 33 foot boom with good gain on all >bands 10-20, WARC included. I've got one on a retractable tower at 72 >feet and it works great on all the bands! The 5BA is not a great antenna mechanically. We have a (supposedly) 120mph rated one at a club station which has never seen winds over 106mph (calibrated wind gauges close by). The failures so far? The back element fell off, the 20M driven element rotated on the boom and a few of the boom joints are failing. I have a picture of the 20M driven element rotated on the boom if you're interested. All the failure points are rivets that were installed at the factory so an installation error is not to blame. Avoid. Andrew Williamson GI0NWG / AC6WI Homepage = http://www.gi0nwg.freeserve.co.uk/ One of the ZL9CI gang http://www.qsl.net/zl9ci/ -------------------------------------------- Force12Talk mailing list provided as a service by Force 12 Antennas, Inc. Force12 Web Site: http://www.force12inc.com To Submit Message to the List: Force12Talk@qth.com To unsubscribe and view the Message Archive: see http://qth.com/force12/list For problems with the list: contact n4zr@qth.com -------------------------------------------- Force12Talk mailing list provided as a service by Force 12 Antennas, Inc. Force12 Web Site: http://www.force12inc.com To Submit Message to the List: Force12Talk@qth.com To unsubscribe and view the Message Archive: see http://qth.com/force12/list For problems with the list: contact n4zr@qth.com |