Has anyone tried the rubberized coating used on metal tools? I'm talking
about the stuff you dip a pair of pliers (handles only) into for 10
seconds, remove and allow the excess to run off for 10 seconds, then
hang to let dry. Would this work on aluminum antennas?
If anyone has tried this, how hard is it to peal off if you had to 'get
to' the actual antenna again for some reason?
Joe, KR3P
Mike Hamann wrote:
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I live in an area next to the Pacific Ocean, and the
salty air from that body of salty water causes rapid
corrosion of most metals, particularly aluminum. So, it is
imperative that metal antennas (except gold!) be protected
from the atmosphere.
Back in the 60's there was an article in a non-QST ham
journal about how the Point Magu (sp?) test range protected
their metal antennas with a two-part brush on chemical that
had a commercial name that started with "Magma-....". The
article was written by a ham who worked at Pt. Magu (again
relying on my memory!).
I ordered some of the stuff, coated several aluminum
antennae with it, and was very impressed. It dried, but
remained flexible so the metals expansion and contraction
would not chip it off. In fact, I neglected one of the
two-meter beams in Manhattan Beach, CA, and allowed it to get
partially buried in the basement part of the house for
"years". Normally, such neglect would result in the aluminum
getting that Al- oxide (Al2O3?) coating, making the antenna -
if it physically survived - useless as a radiator.
I think the company that made the stuff has probably long
been extinct. Does anyone know of, or tried anything recently
to protect antennas from smog, sunshine, salt air, etc.?
Please do not suggest Krylon spray - it doesn't protect for
very long, chips off within months when exposed to UV
radiation and smog, at least near the Pacific Ocean.
