With the conscripted help of my kids I was able to get my antenna repaired yesterday afternoon. As I suspected, the strain of the porch swing pulling on the feedline pulled the antenna wire apart at the center insulator.
The last time I put this antenna up I replaced my original homebrewed my own center insulator with a new one made from a thicker piece of plexiglass. The thin stuff was fine, but I worried that it would break under stress. I knew the heavy duty one would outlast the wire, which it did.
Fortunately, the rope was still over the tree, so I was able to raise the antenna back up once I fixed it. I had considered shooting a new line over the tree; there are higher limbs available, and my current line takes a rather precarious route thru the tree — the limbs that support it aren't exactly heavy duty.
But in the interest of getting it done, I didn't change it. The antenna has stayed up thru several wind storms, so I figured “if it ain't broke, don't fix it.”
In the process, I raised the antenna apex quite a big — at least 15 feet. The extra elevation got the one leg that passes over the garage much higher, and it brings the apex angle to about 100 degrees. On 75 meters the antenna tuning changed quite a bit. Actually it returned pretty much to the settings I used when the apex used to be at 35-40 feet.
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I tried but failed to snipe an interesting Vibroplex item that ended today on eBay. The auction was for a 1941 envelope, letter and company catalog Vibroplex sent a fellow inquiring about their keys. The letter looked old, but the contents were mint.
The inside back page of the catalog had a Vibroplex Lightning Bug key as shown at right. Now remember, Vibroplex had not yet retooled their bugs, nor had they redesigned their finger and thumb pieces to make them more rounded, just like they are today.
In the illustration, the Lightning Bug DeLuxe shown is equipped with red finger and thumb pieces — which were never actually available. The finger and thumb pieces shown were the old style, and they were not produced in red. Only the newer ones came in red. Is the illustration a harbinger of changes to come? Perhaps! There's no denying the red trim sure looks good with the chrome.
The latest bug I've gotten is a 1944 Original DeLuxe, which is painted battleship gray instead of the usual chrome base. The seller didn't know it was a WWII DeLuxe, but the red trim gave it away. The chrome on this key and the base are nearly perfect. The key is missing the thumb piece and the locknut on the top pivot adjustment — both available from the company. I'll have to order them along with the other Vibroplex parts I'm needing.
I've got a net to check into later, so 73 for now.
de KY4Z … dit dit ….