[time-nuts] OT: Re: 1" poles in UK
Robert Atkinson
robert8rpi at yahoo.co.uk
Tue Jun 23 18:31:13 UTC 2009
The 1" mounts used for many GPS antennas are available in the UK. They are common on boats and available from most ships chandler's (price is another thing). I have a Shakespear adjustable mount and fibreglass extension.
Then there is always *bay.
Robert G8RPI.
--- On Tue, 23/6/09, Dave Baxter <dave at uk-ar.co.uk> wrote:
> From: Dave Baxter <dave at uk-ar.co.uk>
> Subject: [time-nuts] OT: Re: TNC connectors
> To: time-nuts at febo.com
> Date: Tuesday, 23 June, 2009, 5:49 PM
> Chuck, please realise we're in the
> UK, not the US, so things are significantly different in
> many ways...
>
> "TV coax" hear is really cheap cruddy stuff, if you're very
> lucky you might get 50% braid/shielding
> coverage! There was no real need to prevent
> ingress or egress of signals, as (other than channel 36
> around some airports) that band was dedicated to broadcast
> TV.
>
> Unlike in the US, where your cable distribution systems had
> to be buttoned up quite well, as the same frequencies are
> also used over the air for "other services" etc.
>
> The "Satellite LNB" coax that you regard as "standard TV
> coax", has only recently become common over here, since the
> rise in popularity of Satellite TV, and the need to use good
> quality cable, as well as keeping stuff in or out as
> needed.
>
> Yes, I'm aware of the old "AM" car radio aerial
> cable. But from what I've seen (still got in places)
> that was a very poor imitation of the 93r coax we used for
> the network. Almost no braid, and the very thin "wire"
> (much thinner than in the network cable) just floating about
> in the tube dielectric, no spiral filament to hold it in the
> centre. But it was no doubt cheap to produce.
> (That reminds me, I need a replacement broadcast antenna for
> the 4x4, the last one argued with a tree, and lost, not as
> rugged as advertised!)
>
> Metric vs Imperial: Wasn't the USA
> supposed to go Metric decades ago? Many instrument
> makers managed it (IBM, HP, TEK etc.) But the folklore
> I remember when I was in the US just down 101 from San Jose
> back in the early 90's, states that most small (jobbing)
> metal bashing suppliers just plain refused to push the
> "Metric" button on their CNC machines ;-)
> Certainly, the ones we used would and could do metric if you
> really wanted, but they didn't half grumble about
> it... (They did a good job though!)
>
> Non standard connectors, yes, it happens. BT in this
> context is British Telecom, and I guess they could have had
> connectors made especially for them. But I've also
> seen the same things on Ex BBC broadcast and other
> kit. Closely allied to BT or the GPO as it
> used to be it has to be said, so no surprise there I
> guess. In either case, I suspect it effectively became
> a "Standard" over hear within that industry.
>
> "Metric UHF connector threads". Yep, whatever the
> thread is supposed to be, there are many variations on that
> theme (and also the exact size of the centre pin!)
> Another reason I avoid them like the plague!. Not
> least their tendency to explode in flames with a kilowatt
> flowing through them! There again, I've also destroyed
> good clean N connectors with less RF than that. (Bad
> VSWR problems!)
>
> "Radio Shack" never existed in the UK. There was a
> brief period where "Tandy" was on the high street, with Rat
> Shack branded products. "RS" over hear stands for what
> used to be "Radio Spares". Now RS Components, one of
> the big (huge) catalogue based component suppliers, like
> your Mouser or DigiKey (who are also over hear in a small
> but expensive way.)
>
> Even then, Tandy went for the "Gadget" toy and phone
> market, abandoning even the small line of components they
> had, their products were of doubtful quality as well from
> what I remember. The closest now in the UK
> would be Maplin, though they are slowly moving away from
> components, towards toys, gadgets, PC's and phones
> etc. Go in to there and start asking for TNC
> connectors, and you'll probably get a blank stare...
>
> What you call RCA connectors, we call "Phono"
> connectors. Another example.
>
> Interestingly, Maplin do this...
> http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1587&C=SO&U=strat15
>
> A TNC Male, to BNC Female adapter. For the impressive
> cost of £1.89 Useful to know. Now
> all you have to do, is find a store with one in stock, and
> what the "Quality" is like is anyone's guess at that price.
>
> Pipe threads and mounting poles... We
> can't just go to "Any US plumbing supply store". There
> are DIY equivalent stores here of course, but you'd be very
> lucky indeed to find any iron water piping for domestic use
> these days. Threaded or otherwise! Even our
> water plumbing (Hot as well as cold) is moving towards
> plastic and push fit fittings. (!)
>
> Again, please be aware we are not in the USA, and 90+% of
> all our suppliers are exclusively metric, so it can be an
> issue to get the "correct stuff", when it is critical, and
> it is some odd (to us) imperial size or thread fitting..
>
> Strangely, the more common it is in the US, the scarcer it
> is over hear it seems. Bit like trying to by Tea bags
> and Branston Pickle in the US. Not to say a decent
> electric kettle! :-)
>
> 'Nuff said I think.
>
> Regards to all.
>
> Dave B.
>
>
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