Force 12 Sigma-280 Magnum, Assembly Instructions Manual

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DW-Manual-Sigma-280 Magnum-001 FORCE 12 SIGMA-280Magnum Assembly Instructions Page 4 of 32
On to the assembly.............................
Tools required:
A.
Wrenches or ratchets.
1. 7/16"
2. 1/2"
3. 9/16"
B.
A 3/8" nut driver, or small crescent wrench for the feed point 10-24 nuts.
C.
Screwdriver to back-up the 10-24 feed point machine screws.
D.
Cordless drill and these bits: ¼” and 1/8” or 3/16”
E.
Hand riveter, also called a "POP™", or blind riveter. These are available from the company, a local
hardware store, or possibly your dealer where this antenna was purchased. This is used to secure the
element sections together. Use the smallest nozzle (tip) for the 1/8" rivets.
F.
A means to control and hoist the antenna into position.
G.
Some patience and common sense - be careful, as antennas can come into contact with high voltage
lines and they are lethal. Also, be careful installing, as towers and masts are also dangerous.
Thanks
The antenna is shipped in subassemblies and each assembly section is appropriately identified. The antenna
elements are divided into two (2) halves: "A" and "B". Each tubing section has either an "A" or "B" on it
and the sections taper as they go towards the tip. Assembly requires only that the identifications are
matched. All the rivet holes are pre-drilled and will align exactly when the proper sections are matched.
The elements are identical and are split at the center. The relay boxes are placed in series with each element
at the feed point. The driver is fed with 50 ohm coax through either a 1:1 balun, or other means of a current
balun (a coaxial RF choke would be quite large). The reflector is shorted across the far end of the relay box
(the same location the balun attaches on the driver).
Please read all instructions carefully and also look at the pictures - they are truly worth a thousand words!
Assembly Notes:
1) Although the entire antenna has already been pre-assembled, it might be a good idea to double-
check the measurements, especially on the elements. Please let us know if there are any discrepancies.
Thanks.
2)
When using the hand riveter, please be sure the smallest nozzle is in the tool. Sometimes with a
larger nozzle, the mandrel of the rivet can get crooked within the tool, which can result in breaking the
mandrel before the rivet is "popped." The smaller nozzle also makes a smooth finish on the rivet head.