Re: Vacuum Antenna

Posted by scseidl On 2014/10/12 19:34:01

I was able to make a new leather seal using a leather check book cover I had laying around. Once I cut it to size, I needed it to wrap around the outside diameter of the piston. I accomplished this by soaking the flat seal in water then installed on piston and installed piston assembly into tube and let sit for a few days. The leather conformed nicely around piston. I applied some o-ring grease to piston and to inside of tube, reassembled and tested. The antenna extended fine, but needed help to retract. Turns out the antenna assembly has two bleed valve mechanisms to control speed of extension and retraction. Both are simple rubber discs. One is sandwiched between the piston halves ( see earlier posted photos)and the other is located on the bottom of the tube ( last photo). The disc used in the piston was brittle and would not lay flat and caused excessive leakage. I made a new disc using a bicycle inner tube. I retested and the antenna extended and retracted at a nice even pace.

Attach file:

---

  (93.90 KB)


  (91.59 KB)


  (66.30 KB)


  (47.45 KB)


  (78.67 KB)