10k?????

[wrong way]

Anyone ever had any problems with 10k antennas filling up with water and breaking? cb shop said that 10ks have been breaking due to water filling the insides and freezing and breaking and boiling inside got one on the way and wanted to see what you guys had to say.. THANKS WRONG WAY

[wrong way]

or melting???

[cowboy 221]

I read some reviews the other night and they said it was the Monkey Made antenna filling with water. Now I dont own either one yet, I was in the process of buying a 10k but I can tell you this. My friend has one up here in Illinois where the weather changes every 5 minutes. We had a drastic heatwave around 2 or 3 weeks ago ( 55 degrees) after several inches of snow and he had no problem with his and he is pumping some serious RF through it I might add. That's alll I know. 221

['Doc]

I haven't heard of any having that problem, which doesn't really mean a lot, there's a lot I don't hear about. Taking the 'normal' precautions certainly wouldn't hurt. No openings at the 'top', only at the bottom so stuff drains out, that sort of thing.
- 'Doc

[wrong way]

Thanks for the replies Doc and Cowboy. I dont know you hear all kind of stuff from people and I know of nobody myself who uses them except people on the forums but hey its on the way and everyone on here has great things to say about them and you arent trying to produce financial gain by your posts so I think I'll be alright. Thanks again

[drdx]

I haven't heard of any of that, especially BOILING. That would take a pile of power. Last week, we had icicles on stuff, including my 10k. My mobile lives in the garage but my 10k lives in the front bushes, along with my other antenns. I slide them all behind the shrubs to keep them out of the garage. I had icicles on my 10k and screwed it on. With about 500 watts constant carrier I was, after about a minute, able to see ice melting from the base of the stinger and running down on to the top of the coil. The coils had ice all over them, but the swr was still fine. I would think that it would take a TON of power to make something boil in an antenna. My 10k does get extremely hot at the base of the stinger easily if I am sitting still and running any power whatsoever. The coil and shaft stay cool, but the base gets too hot to touch. I've often wondered, since I see heat as loss, how much I lose when I'm running it. It does have burned looking marks where the coil is connected but I cant tell if it is heat or plastic related but still works fine. -drdx

[lonewolf]

I can say that if it rains it can mess up the swr's for sure melting or anything else if that is the case then i would think other issues may be in play. I spray my monkey made antenna down with wd 40 and it will remove moister.

[jessejamesdallas]

The Predator 10K will NOT Melt, But if you have enough Power to run threw one of them, I guess you could boil some water!

Now they can get water in them...But, just about any antenna can get water in it for as that go's...Wilson's can get water in the bottom loaded type antenna's, and after a while, the coil will rust, and break. (I have two of these rattling pieces of junk to prove it!)

About the only thing you can do, to keep the water out, is to put a little silicon around the stinger where it fits into the top section of the antenna. I have had water get into the top section of the 10K's, and even in the lower shaft. (don't ask me how it got in the shaft, because I still haven't figured that one out yet.)

I also know guys that have had water get into the 55's shafts...

But, I have not yet ever seen a Predator 10K burst, because the water froze in it...Not saying it's not possible, just I have never seen it, or seen prof that it has happened. (I have seen doctored pictures of arcing on 10K's, which was later proved to be made from a welding torch!)

That said, Let me say this...

If anyone is thinking of ordering a Predator 10K, they are fixing to become very hard to find...Right now they are no more Predator 10K's being made, because Kale (the builder and owner) is fixing to have heart surgery, and has not been able to fill any more orders.

So it is possible that the Predator 10K's that are in the stores now, maybe the last of them for a while. If you want one, I would suggest you order it soon, or be left out in the cold.

[Soldierboy]

Good thing I ordered my 10k competition the other day.
Thanks Jessie.