i have equired an old moonraker from an old man he told me that this antenna is probably 25yrs old i havent got it down from his tower yet bet i can bet this antenna is going to need all new hardware!!!!!! my question is the fiberglass radails for the most part are probablly going to need some attention and the gamma matches should they be replased with new ones so if any of you all can give me some pointers on what or how i should go about doing stuff with this antenna i will appreciate it thanks!!!!!
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rejuvinating old moonraker4
- Thread starter excavator701
- Start date
701, those old MR's can present a lot of problems especially if they have been installed for some time. The hubs get brittle, the plastic parts get dried out, the f-glass goes to pot as you note. Those old booms get bent up and pinched and I have seen a few that for some reason just don’t make good electrical continuity throughout the length when old and exposed to the air, particularly if you can’t get the boom apart in the middle where the boom support part is. The hubs are also suspect regarding the lack of continuity and you may find them impossible to reinstall and tighten with out breaking.
I doubt you will find gammas that are any better and they too can deteriorate over time I suppose. Don’t pay much for it, as it has been exposed and be prepared to possibly have some function problems. Otherwise they were really great antennas. Maybe check with Coopers regarding some parts, I think they may still have some.
Just my thoughts. Check with Maco or with Wolf radio for some good beams that are reasonably priced. The Wolf line may be a better choice as he still slots his tubing and uses good hose clamps for assembly.
Just a few of my thoughts.
I doubt you will find gammas that are any better and they too can deteriorate over time I suppose. Don’t pay much for it, as it has been exposed and be prepared to possibly have some function problems. Otherwise they were really great antennas. Maybe check with Coopers regarding some parts, I think they may still have some.
Just my thoughts. Check with Maco or with Wolf radio for some good beams that are reasonably priced. The Wolf line may be a better choice as he still slots his tubing and uses good hose clamps for assembly.
Just a few of my thoughts.
Hello Excavator701:
Rebuilding the Moonraker 4 or 6 element beams can be done.
As Marconi siad the Element to Boom Mounting Hubs are real fragile. They break very easily. They had problems with them when new in the box from the manufacture.
Even being real carful takingh the Moonraker apart, the hubs sometimes break. If possible just replace the compresson bolt, witout moving the hub around might work.
The Gamma Matchs may still be good, but they can be taken apart and cleaned out. And reassemblied.
The Fiberglass quad reflector pieces can be lightly sanded with scott bright, and repainted, to make them like new.
All the hardware will need to be replaced with stainless steel hardware. Even the U-Bolts.
This isn't a begginer project. Give me a e-mail if I answer any more questions.
I am rebuilding a Moonraker 6 element antenna, but taking my time on it, as other projects have priority. The Moonraker 6 will be using new machined hubs for a larger and stronger 2 inch Boom, new Boom to Mast mounting plate, new simpler truss assembly, and the Gamma Matches will be replaced with the Hairpin matching system. The only original thing will be the elements. Photos when I am close to being done.
Jay in the Mojave
http://www.a1antennas.com
Rebuilding the Moonraker 4 or 6 element beams can be done.
As Marconi siad the Element to Boom Mounting Hubs are real fragile. They break very easily. They had problems with them when new in the box from the manufacture.
Even being real carful takingh the Moonraker apart, the hubs sometimes break. If possible just replace the compresson bolt, witout moving the hub around might work.
The Gamma Matchs may still be good, but they can be taken apart and cleaned out. And reassemblied.
The Fiberglass quad reflector pieces can be lightly sanded with scott bright, and repainted, to make them like new.
All the hardware will need to be replaced with stainless steel hardware. Even the U-Bolts.
This isn't a begginer project. Give me a e-mail if I answer any more questions.
I am rebuilding a Moonraker 6 element antenna, but taking my time on it, as other projects have priority. The Moonraker 6 will be using new machined hubs for a larger and stronger 2 inch Boom, new Boom to Mast mounting plate, new simpler truss assembly, and the Gamma Matches will be replaced with the Hairpin matching system. The only original thing will be the elements. Photos when I am close to being done.
Jay in the Mojave
http://www.a1antennas.com
Hello Excavator701:
Rebuilding the Moonraker 4 or 6 element beams can be done.
As Marconi siad the Element to Boom Mounting Hubs are real fragile. They break very easily. They had problems with them when new in the box from the manufacture.
Even being real carful takingh the Moonraker apart, the hubs sometimes break. If possible just replace the compresson bolt, witout moving the hub around might work.
The Gamma Matchs may still be good, but they can be taken apart and cleaned out. And reassemblied.
The Fiberglass quad reflector pieces can be lightly sanded with scott bright, and repainted, to make them like new.
All the hardware will need to be replaced with stainless steel hardware. Even the U-Bolts.
This isn't a begginer project. Give me a e-mail if I answer any more questions.
I am rebuilding a Moonraker 6 element antenna, but taking my time on it, as other projects have priority. The Moonraker 6 will be using new machined hubs for a larger and stronger 2 inch Boom, new Boom to Mast mounting plate, new simpler truss assembly, and the Gamma Matches will be replaced with the Hairpin matching system. The only original thing will be the elements. Photos when I am close to being done.
The Moonraker Assembly Instructions can be down loaded at:
http://www.cbtricks.com/
Jay in the Mojave
http://www.a1antennas.com
Rebuilding the Moonraker 4 or 6 element beams can be done.
As Marconi siad the Element to Boom Mounting Hubs are real fragile. They break very easily. They had problems with them when new in the box from the manufacture.
Even being real carful takingh the Moonraker apart, the hubs sometimes break. If possible just replace the compresson bolt, witout moving the hub around might work.
The Gamma Matchs may still be good, but they can be taken apart and cleaned out. And reassemblied.
The Fiberglass quad reflector pieces can be lightly sanded with scott bright, and repainted, to make them like new.
All the hardware will need to be replaced with stainless steel hardware. Even the U-Bolts.
This isn't a begginer project. Give me a e-mail if I answer any more questions.
I am rebuilding a Moonraker 6 element antenna, but taking my time on it, as other projects have priority. The Moonraker 6 will be using new machined hubs for a larger and stronger 2 inch Boom, new Boom to Mast mounting plate, new simpler truss assembly, and the Gamma Matches will be replaced with the Hairpin matching system. The only original thing will be the elements. Photos when I am close to being done.
The Moonraker Assembly Instructions can be down loaded at:
http://www.cbtricks.com/
Jay in the Mojave
http://www.a1antennas.com