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Old December 15th 05, 07:02 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.antenna
Tim Wescott
 
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Default Looking for fiberglass antenna part

Irv Finkleman wrote:

Ed wrote:

Short of having a machinist build me some, can anyone advise where I
might be able to buy this part for a home made antenna project....

I need an addapter that is 3/8" x 24 thread on one end, and a 1/2"
tube on the other... to fit over 1/2" fiberglass rod. I can use 3/8" to
5/8" rod diameters to meet this part specs, if necessary.

Stainless steel or brass would be fine.

Ed K7AAT



Buy a long 3/8"x24 bolt, hacksaw off the head, then expoxy some pipe with
1/2" inside diam in over the end. Make sure the part extending into the
pipe is long enough.

Irv VE6BP (Not a machinist, just an idea as to how I'd do it)


As a modification to this, since you can stand 1/2 inch thread, how
about using a 1/2 inch bolt and brazing or silver soldering some 1/2
inch ID tube over it? Not only will this be easier than trying to
center the 3/8 and potentially stronger than epoxy, but it would keep
that RF continuity.

This is the sort of part that's expensive to turn out as a one-off part,
but very easy to manufacture on an NC lathe -- even a cam-driven
automatic screw machine would handle this with ease. Because of this I
suspect that there aren't any on the open market; rather a manufacturer
would just send drawings to their favorite screw machine place to have
them made 10000 at a time.

It's also the sort of part that's fun to make in limited quantity -- it
looks pretty, you get to practice your threading, yet its not too
critical. So you might want to take up Paul's offer, perhaps with a
nice drawing. Just don't ask him to make too many.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com