Fracarro LP345F TV Antenna Improvement

[mike48]

I just recently replaced my old diplexed TV antennas with a new genuine Fracarro LP345F.
This antenna has the added bonus of a smaller bird footprint.

Had a look at the antenna electrical feed.
The coax from the rear socket goes all the way through the bottom boom to the pointy end (technical term) where the coax outer connects to the bottom boom front, and the coax inner goes to the top boom front. Both electrical connections are made by internal wedges in the the front plastic moulding with two separate stainless steel springs holding the inner and outer to the inside of the booms.

I sought to improve this by cable tieing (spelling anyone?) the coax outer to the inside of the bottom, and soldering a radio type solder lug to the coax inner, and fixing with an M4 screw to the inside of the top boom.
Coated with Electrolube SCO spray silicon grease (this is goopy stuff).
I still used the original front black plastic moulding "plug", after chewing out the internal "wedges".
Attached with cable ties.

As the antenna is rear mounted, I used 500mm of UPVC tube as a 45 degree support, from mast to bottom boom for better support and minimal vibration in winds.

These low gain antennas and their clones, are now very common in metro areas.
The small bird footprint aspect swayed my thinking from a VHF only antenna.
No 4G transmitters around.

mike

334478334479334477

[mike48]

Bird Perching Update.

Observations over two weeks since installation of new LP antenna and two "Pest-X" anti-bird plastic spikes on boom and clamp.
One dove, one Noisy Miner, both perching on the rear thin elements.

When I pulled down the old antennas with Pest-X spikes, I noticed that these old spikes were in very good condition after five years or so.
Must be good UV proof plastic (polycarbonate I believe).

TV signal strengths measured much the same as previous; old antennas replaced due old age and bird problems.

[soundman]

These LP345F aerials have been very popular in recent years .... have a couple of mates that have been using them almost exclusively since digital TV came on line.

While they seem to see failures in the cheaper coppies, they don't seem to have any problems with these , inspite of the arrangents at the front.

this model is pretty much obsolete now ..... band 5 has gone away and the restack has left pretty much all sites as either band3 or mand 4 only ... with the exception of community TV still on UHF in capitol cities .... and that is suposed to go away soon.

As for being low gain ...... they gain up pretty well in comparison to the medium combinations of the recent past and handily spank the smaller ones.

I've used some of the LP4Fs as radio mic aerials and a couple of LP3Fs and they seem to be a pretty solid thing ..particularly for the price.

cheers