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> Center insulator wire antenna so-239 ham- cb- swl- 2KW
Center insulator wire antenna so-239 ham- cb- swl- 2KW
This center insulator is designed to feed Dipole antennas. If using the flat-top configuration you simply attach each side to the side eyebolt's and suspend the antenna from the ends. For use as an Inverted V you suspend the insulator from the top eyebolt to raise the center height to the desired level. Simply solder or twist together the wires from the insulator to your antenna wires after wrapping them around the side eyebolt's. This insulator brings the wires direct to connect to the antenna rather than attaching to bolts of differing metal and using additional attachment hardware. This reduces loss by maintaining an electrical path of copper rather than some less conductive material like the steel eyebolt's.
This center insulator is rated at over 2KW. It will handle full legal power on all HF amateur bands as well 6 and 2 meters. No loss from heating caused by undersized wires. Our wire is rated at over 2KW.
Here you can see the bottom mounted SO-239 connector. Notice the hole in the PVC is a bit larger than the connector itself. This allows your PL-259 to screw up firmly into the PVC case adding further protection against water entering your coax at this point. We do recommend sealing this connection with coax seal but we have used this design for over 10 years without it and never had a problem. Also note the drain hole to the right of the SO-239. With the insulator exposed to the weather, condensation will form inside from time to time and this allows it to drain out harmlessly.
The insulator is compact and lightweight. The case measures 3.25 inches tall and 2.25 inches wide and weighs just over 8 ounces.
Take a look inside the insulator. This is the top section. Notice that we use washers on the inside with each eyebolt. This allows it to contact a larger area of the PVC case and provide a stronger installation. Also we use lock nuts with nylon inserts on the inside of the case. This prevents the nuts from coming loose after the case is sealed. Should the outside nut ever become loose all you have to do is hold the eyebolt and turn the nut to retighten. The inside nut is going to stay in place. I have seen other similarly mounted eyebolt's get loosened somehow and with regular bolts inside it's almost impossible to retighten them.
As you can see we bring the wire out a separate hole located just below the side eyebolt's. This location also offers a degree of protection to the wire should a limb or something fall against the insulator the eyebolt would take the hit rather than the wire at it's exit point where it could be cut against the side of the hole it exits through.
