Waxing Antennas

T

Ted Osborne

New member
Reading the Jan/Feb edition of dockside magazine, in the Hands On section the author mentions that regular cleaning and waxing will extend the antennas life. I had always known antennas were fibreglass but for some reason never considered waxing it. Just wanted to pass on this easy maintenance tip.
 
Also don't forget your mooring whips...if you have them...wax them. The will last longer before they start making it painful to handle them. After years of exposure to the UV rays, the fiberglass will become exposed and you will be felling the adverse effects of it in your hands when you are handling them.
 
Papillon":180u1jtr said:
Also don't forget your mooring whips...if you have them...wax them. The will last longer before they start making it painful to handle them. After years of exposure to the UV rays, the fiberglass will become exposed and you will be felling the adverse effects of it in your hands when you are handling them.
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Very true! Handling (SPECIFICALLY SLIDING YOUR HAND DOWN THE ANTENNA OR MOORING WHIP FROM THE NARROW TO THE BROADER END) will result in the microscopic glass fibers being painfully embedded in your fingers!

Once the antenna or mooring whip gets frayed however, not all is lost. I can think of at least three alternatives:

1. paint the antenna with a flexible paint such as a linear polyurethane.

2. Spiral wrap the antenna with plastic tape (using gloves, of course!).

3. Slide heat shrink tubing over the antenna and shrink it down to fit. This may take a combination of two or even three sizes of tubing to accommodate the taper of the fiberglass shaft.

We discussed this a year or two ago, and I remember Capn Jack trying #3 and saying it worked very well. Here's that full discussion:

Fiberglass Antenna Slivers Many excellent ideas that elaborate on this problem and its solution contained therein!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Slide heat shrink tubing over the antenna and shrink it down to fit. This may take a combination of two or even three sizes of tubing to accommodate the taper of the fiberglass shaft.
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What a great, simple idea!
 
How long does the heat shrink tubing last when exposed to the same elements as the FG antenna?

One thing that I do to help protect the antenna when trailering is to slide a 3 foot section of foam pipe insulation over it. Does 2 things: When the 8ft FG whip is folded down towards the stern, (parallel) with the cabin roof, it would bang on the aft cabin top, wearing on the antenna, and top. Now, there is a 1" foam thickness there. The other 2 1/2 ft stick out past the top end of the antenna, and prevent anyone in the cockpit from walking into the end and poking out an eye. A simple line, slip knot and tie to the boarding handle keeps the foam in place at 60 knots down the hiway. Works for me.

Harvey
SleepyC
 
hardee":3jt86hj5 said:
How long does the heat shrink tubing last when exposed to the same elements as the FG antenna?


One thing that I do to help protect the antenna when trailering is to slide a 3 foot section of foam pipe insulation over it. Does 2 things: When the 8ft FG whip is folded down towards the stern, (parallel) with the cabin roof, it would bang on the aft cabin top, wearing on the antenna, and top. Now, there is a 1" foam thickness there. The other 2 1/2 ft stick out past the top end of the antenna, and prevent anyone in the cockpit from walking into the end and poking out an eye. A simple line, slip knot and tie to the boarding handle keeps the foam in place at 60 knots down the hiway. Works for me.

Harvey
SleepyC
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Harvey_ as far as how long it lasts, I guess we'll have to ask Capn Jack, or someone who's done it (!).

My two basic antennas are mounted forward on the hooded brow overhang so they 1.) don't have mounting holes that go through the roof into the cabin, and 2.) fold down and lay between the rooftop handrails and the raised cabin top where they're out of the way and ride quietly. Mounted further forward, like this, the cockpit overhand is reduced to about 15 inches.

The only disadvantage to the rooftop mount, as you've discovered, is that the antennas extend back over the cockpit when folded down, creating a hazard, which is especially worrisome since it's at eye level.

I deal with this by installing plastic antenna balls obtained for free at gas stations. They're light enough to just leave on the antennas permanently, whether up or down. I first tried tennis balls, but their weight and windage was too great when aloft. Keep 'em flying if ya' got 'em !

Joe. :lol: :thup
 
Thanks for tip Joe, Guess we will have to hope that Capn Jack will chime in here on that:

"How long does the heat shrink tubing last when exposed to the same elements as the FG antenna?"
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As to the little "free " antenna balls from ????? I thought the only place that did that anymore is Jack in the Box fast food. (It's OK, its just a memory thing :sad :wink )

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
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