[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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