Winded antenna

[PabloPicasso]

My Metz antenna at the masthead could have a windex fitted. However, the winðex will not clear the masthead light even though it is mounted on a standoff bracket

What would be the easiest way of raising the antenna so the windex can spin clear of the tricolour?

 

[William_H]

The antenna can be moved either up or forward so that windex clears the light lens. Do this with an Ali or SS bracket made of sheet metal. Do make sure you get a decent electrical contact from mast to bracket and bracket to antenna mount.

If however the antenna is a thin wire about 17 inches long then you could make a wind pointer as I have done.
The pointer body has a vertical hole the size of the antenna rod and it drops from the top of the antenna down to a stopper. The stopper is a piece of brass or steel with 2 screws in it cut from a piece of "chocolate block" electrical connector. The rod antenna goes through the hole made for wires and you get 2 screw clamps. You use another stopper above on the antenna to stop it coming off the top.
I made the wind pointer out of carbon fibre one layer cut out in the shape of a long "fuselage with tail both above and below centre line. About 2/3 of the way nose to tail I mounted a small piece of steel tubing about 1.2 cms long with a 2mm hole. (used in electronics as a spacer on a small screw.) This steel tube is the vertical bearing. It is mounted in more layers of carbon fibre. Glass fibre might be OK but does not have the stiffness so needs more thickness.
A cheap and cheerful wind pointer that can be made any size. Mine is about twice as big as most windex. Use a little lead on the nose to get it all balanced perfectly. I painted mine white for night sailing. Mine is not actually on the antenna but a small ss rod but this should not affect antenna performance. Perhaps a little if made of carbon fibre but quite OK in fibreglass.
Sorry waffling on when yours is probably a fibreglass tube antenna which would not make a suitable axle. good luck olewill

 

[Salty John]

My Metz antenna at the masthead could have a windex fitted. However, the winðex will not clear the masthead light even though it is mounted on a standoff bracket

What would be the easiest way of raising the antenna so the windex can spin clear of the tricolour?

Some thoughts: Can you bend the stand-off bracket so that it moves the antenna up rather than out? Or you could mount the standoff bracket to an alloy plate and the plate to the mast.

The problem with using a spacer tube or a grub screw on the Davis Windex AV is that the tracking arms are located at the base of the antenna and by moving the vane higher up the antenna whip you lose an accurate reference. With a Hawk the reference arms are part of the vane assembly so you could locate the whole assembly higher up the whip.
Don't worry about electrical continuity - the Metz is internally earthed and doesn't need an external earth or a ground plane - you can fit it to a plastic bracket if you like.