Yours truly just scored an amazing classic beam antenna!

[FPR1981]

Today is a great day.

Since 1995, I've been after a fully-intact Antenna Specialists Super Scanner beam. I first spoke to the old woman who owned the house in 1995, and at the time she wasn't ready to part with them, as her husband who used them had just died. Years later, probably in 2008, I stopped and she said I could have them if I could find someone to take them down. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any help, life got busy and I forgot.

One day I thought of it, and I drove back down the road. It's tucked away at the end of a cul de sac. Fully expecting them to be gone, my heart raced as I caught a glimpse. They were still there.

Before deciding to stop, I had a feeling the old woman was probably deceased. I checked the local obituary records, and sure enough, she died in 2016. Figuring her family might still own the house, I checked the property records through the county auditor. Turns out, the family had just sold the house last year.

Was I a day late and dollar short? Something told me no. I didn't have this antenna in my sights since 1995 for nothing. I am destined to own this thing, right?!

So I see the name of who owns the house, and I take to Facebook Messenger.

Success! Right?

I wrote her a very nice message, explaining everything. I told her who I was, and what I did for a living, figuring she might think I was a creeper.

Weeks went by and nothing. She hadn't read the message.

Dammit, surely she will read it eventually.

Next, I stalked her page, and saw where she worked. Lo and behold, I know several people who work there! Working my contacts, someone got me her cell phone number. A week ago, I sent her a text. Within an hour, I got a response.

"Let me think about it and get back to you."

Ack!!!

Think about what? An old rusty tower on your nice brick ranch style house? The kind of thing most people with no interest in radio would happily have taken down and hauled away!

Think positive, A.T. (my name). Think positive.

This morning my text message inbox lights up, and it's her!

"You can have it, especially if Mrs. Jennings said you could. Would your guy take the antenna on the other side down while here? Let me know when you plan on removing it. Thanks!"

BOOM!

SCORE!

YES!

Something told me not long ago that if I saw a control box for a Super Scanner on eBay to snag it up, whether I had the antenna or not. So I did. That must have been the good karma I needed, because it will be put to use.

I'm so excited.

I plan to disassemble and do some maintenance to it. I figure I'll clean the hardware and maybe but some new stainless screws and such. Any suggestions for what I should do to make sure it can stand another 40 years?

 

[k3hal]

Today is a great day.

Since 1995, I've been after a fully-intact Antenna Specialists Super Scanner beam. I first spoke to the old woman who owned the house in 1995, and at the time she wasn't ready to part with them, as her husband who used them had just died. Years later, probably in 2008, I stopped and she said I could have them if I could find someone to take them down. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any help, life got busy and I forgot.

One day I thought of it, and I drove back down the road. It's tucked away at the end of a cul de sac. Fully expecting them to be gone, my heart raced as I caught a glimpse. They were still there.

Before deciding to stop, I had a feeling the old woman was probably deceased. I checked the local obituary records, and sure enough, she died in 2016. Figuring her family might still own the house, I checked the property records through the county auditor. Turns out, the family had just sold the house last year.

Was I a day late and dollar short? Something told me no. I didn't have this antenna in my sights since 1995 for nothing. I am destined to own this thing, right?!

So I see the name of who owns the house, and I take to Facebook Messenger.

Success! Right?

I wrote her a very nice message, explaining everything. I told her who I was, and what I did for a living, figuring she might think I was a creeper.

Weeks went by and nothing. She hadn't read the message.

Dammit, surely she will read it eventually.

Next, I stalked her page, and saw where she worked. Lo and behold, I know several people who work there! Working my contacts, someone got me her cell phone number. A week ago, I sent her a text. Within an hour, I got a response.

"Let me think about it and get back to you."

Ack!!!

Think about what? An old rusty tower on your nice brick ranch style house? The kind of thing most people with no interest in radio would happily have taken down and hauled away!

Think positive, A.T. (my name). Think positive.

This morning my text message inbox lights up, and it's her!

"You can have it, especially if Mrs. Jennings said you could. Would your guy take the antenna on the other side down while here? Let me know when you plan on removing it. Thanks!"

BOOM!

SCORE!

YES!

Something told me not long ago that if I saw a control box for a Super Scanner on eBay to snag it up, whether I had the antenna or not. So I did. That must have been the good karma I needed, because it will be put to use.

I'm so excited.

I plan to disassemble and do some maintenance to it. I figure I'll clean the hardware and maybe but some new stainless screws and such. Any suggestions for what I should do to make sure it can stand another 40 years?

YUP...before you assemble your new toy, add a coating of PENETROX A to the joints of the tubing. its made by a company called BURNDY.
penetrox is an electrical joint compound for aluminum. after all connections are made coat the entire antenna with clear KRYLON. dont forget to waterproof the cable connection. 20 years from now you will still be a happy boy. good luck.
k3hal

 

[FPR1981]

I plan to remove the boom mounts that hold the elements and clean them thoroughly, getting them as rust free as possible. I was going to paint them with a hammered Rust Oleum. I plan to do the same thing to the saddle brackets. Is there any reason why that would be a bad idea?

 

[k3hal]

I plan to remove the boom mounts that hold the elements and clean them thoroughly, getting them as rust free as possible. I was going to paint them with a hammered Rust Oleum. I plan to do the same thing to the saddle brackets. Is there any reason why that would be a bad idea?

as long as the paint you use does not contain anything metallic it should work...

 

[FPR1981]

I have a personal training client who is not only a construction contractor, but worked on cell phone and radio towers for a few years. He told me he will come and take down the tower and antenna, and will help me with the entire project, including putting a tower up at my house and getting them up and in place.

Right now I'm playing on a Sirio aluminum ground plane that's about 40 feet up at the radials. Damn good playing antenna, but I've always wanted a beam. To not have to mess with a rotor would be great.

BUT

I have a set of beams on another house in town that I was told to come and get. Gotta figure out what the hell to do with them.

Then across the street is an Avanti Astro Beam that is missing the elements on one side, but is otherwise intact. The house is a rental and I'm sure the owner would love to see that tower dropped. I might soon be in antenna heaven.

I told my wife, our next place will be in the country and I'm going to have a literal antenna farm, LOL.

 

[FPR1981]

I was told I could have these too. Are these worth nabbing?

 

[FPR1981]

This Avanti Astro Beam could probably be mine too. It's on a crappy rental house and has been there all my life. It's missing elements on the one side, but a saddle bracket and Sirio aluminum dipole could probably restore them.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Today is a great day.

Since 1995, I've been after a fully-intact Antenna Specialists Super Scanner beam. I first spoke to the old woman who owned the house in 1995, and at the time she wasn't ready to part with them, as her husband who used them had just died. Years later, probably in 2008, I stopped and she said I could have them if I could find someone to take them down. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any help, life got busy and I forgot.

One day I thought of it, and I drove back down the road. It's tucked away at the end of a cul de sac. Fully expecting them to be gone, my heart raced as I caught a glimpse. They were still there.

Before deciding to stop, I had a feeling the old woman was probably deceased. I checked the local obituary records, and sure enough, she died in 2016. Figuring her family might still own the house, I checked the property records through the county auditor. Turns out, the family had just sold the house last year.

Was I a day late and dollar short? Something told me no. I didn't have this antenna in my sights since 1995 for nothing. I am destined to own this thing, right?!

So I see the name of who owns the house, and I take to Facebook Messenger.

Success! Right?

I wrote her a very nice message, explaining everything. I told her who I was, and what I did for a living, figuring she might think I was a creeper.

Weeks went by and nothing. She hadn't read the message.

Dammit, surely she will read it eventually.

Next, I stalked her page, and saw where she worked. Lo and behold, I know several people who work there! Working my contacts, someone got me her cell phone number. A week ago, I sent her a text. Within an hour, I got a response.

"Let me think about it and get back to you."

Ack!!!

Think about what? An old rusty tower on your nice brick ranch style house? The kind of thing most people with no interest in radio would happily have taken down and hauled away!

Think positive, A.T. (my name). Think positive.

This morning my text message inbox lights up, and it's her!

"You can have it, especially if Mrs. Jennings said you could. Would your guy take the antenna on the other side down while here? Let me know when you plan on removing it. Thanks!"

BOOM!

SCORE!

YES!

Something told me not long ago that if I saw a control box for a Super Scanner on eBay to snag it up, whether I had the antenna or not. So I did. That must have been the good karma I needed, because it will be put to use.

I'm so excited.

I plan to disassemble and do some maintenance to it. I figure I'll clean the hardware and maybe but some new stainless screws and such. Any suggestions for what I should do to make sure it can stand another 40 years?

I remember those antennas from the 70's! Do they use a phasing harness? If so, you probably need to replace it. Be careful to use same cable type and length.

Edit; Found an article on modifying for 10M, should have some details of the unmodified dimensions.

10 Meter "Super Scanner" Antenna Project - How to Modify the Original Super Scanner for 10 Meters!

 

[n9mxq]

Lucky dog. Had one back in the day and loved it. Should you grab the others? Yep, Parts is Parts.. Keep us posted on the restoration process.

 

[JayMojave]

Hello FPR1981: If the Aluminum is cleaned with Scotch Bright and you use new stainless steel hose clamps your good to go. Suggest you assemble the antenna on a short 10 foot mast and hook up to a radio to verify the relays are working and the received signals change with the switching. Also be advised using metal guy wires connected to the top of the mast will throw off the SWR as the metal guy wires will be too close to the antenna elements, this from experience. Nylon guy wires ok. Good luck, please let us know how it works out for you.

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert.... "Next Gas 150 Miles"

 

[KANE4109]

This seems an appropriate place for this question.......
When you have an aluminum antenna that has been up for years...very often it gets this hard white corrosion at the tubing joints... and it is a nightmare to get them apart.

What can help with that? Is there anything that will loosen them up without destroying the tubing?

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

This seems an appropriate place for this question.......
When you have an aluminum antenna that has been up for years...very often it gets this hard white corrosion at the tubing joints... and it is a nightmare to get them apart.

What can help with that? Is there anything that will loosen them up without destroying the tubing?

Soak with Kroil or similar penetrating oil. Use heat to expand the outer tubing. Cold to shrink inner tubing. If you can do both try it.

 

[k3hal]

Soak with Kroil or similar penetrating oil. Use heat to expand the outer tubing. Cold to shrink inner tubing. If you can do both try it.

yup...lots and lots of KROIL. i put that sh#&t on everything

 

[prcguy]

Penetrox is good stuff for the joints to keep corrosion down but I would not use clear Krylon, its not known for longevity in the sun. Instead clean and degrease all parts to be painted then put on a couple of coats of self etching primer then a few coats of Rustoleum. I use a winter grey which blends in with the sky well and tones down the antenna.

I was looking at some of the antennas on my tower recently and its about time to recoat the older ones with Rustoleum again after 20yrs.

YUP...before you assemble your new toy, add a coating of PENETROX A to the joints of the tubing. its made by a company called BURNDY.
penetrox is an electrical joint compound for aluminum. after all connections are made coat the entire antenna with clear KRYLON. dont forget to waterproof the cable connection. 20 years from now you will still be a happy boy. good luck.
k3hal

 

[FPR1981]

Penetrox is good stuff for the joints to keep corrosion down but I would not use clear Krylon, its not known for longevity in the sun. Instead clean and degrease all parts to be painted then put on a couple of coats of self etching primer then a few coats of Rustoleum. I use a winter grey which blends in with the sky well and tones down the antenna.

I was looking at some of the antennas on my tower recently and its about time to recoat the older ones with Rustoleum again after 20yrs.

The saddles that hold the elements in place at the end of the booms, would Rustoleum hammered paint be safe to spray them with?

 

[FPR1981]

Hello FPR1981: If the Aluminum is cleaned with Scotch Bright and you use new stainless steel hose clamps your good to go. Suggest you assemble the antenna on a short 10 foot mast and hook up to a radio to verify the relays are working and the received signals change with the switching. Also be advised using metal guy wires connected to the top of the mast will throw off the SWR as the metal guy wires will be too close to the antenna elements, this from experience. Nylon guy wires ok. Good luck, please let us know how it works out for you.

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert.... "Next Gas 150 Miles"

This might seem like a dumb question, so bear with me as I've never owned this antenna before, but on the topic of verifying that the relays switch properly --- how do I know that they are?

Should I just, as a matter of precaution, change them out anyhow, seeing as this antenna is at least 45 years old?

 

[DJ11DLN]

Great find on the Super Scanner. I always wanted one back when I played with 11M but I couldn't afford it. They were popular around here back in the day and people that had them liked 'em. I hope you get yours up and talking soon.

 

[slowmover]

Great story. Good luck!

 

[prcguy]

Rustoleum hammered paint is pretty good stuff and can actually be sprayed over rust and it will encapsulate it. But it probably has metal particles in it and that would be a mistake to use over an insulator if that's what the saddles are. Metallic paint is fine over the actual radiating part of the antenna, it will not affect antenna performance at CB frequencies.

The saddles that hold the elements in place at the end of the booms, would Rustoleum hammered paint be safe to spray them with?

 

[FPR1981]

But, if the saddles are metal and did not have a non-conductive insulation over them to begin with, what would the metallic paint change? Asking sincerely, trying to learn something here