In preparation of the TH7 Yagi, Keith, Jerry, and John put finishing touches on the beam by re-measuring and lightning connections while the beam lay on the saw horses.
A final check with the MFJ259 VSWR bridge showed a poor resonance with at 20m. Even we knew that the resonance with be displaced due to the close grounding effects, the 13 MHz resonance was way out of normal. John quickly checked the traps for continuity and immediately found an open. The team used Jerry’s tailgate to conduct a quick disassembly and inspection. Oddly, the connections looked normal, but one end of the coiled wires had poor connection to the aluminum tube. John flattened the wire, burnished surfaces, applied some Penetrox compound, and nursed it back into it’s protective shell. Upon completion, the resonance was definitely better, but still low. After the storm we’ll inspect the others.
View photos from this event.