WA Radio Scanner Users' Group

I was reading the reviews on the Unadilla dipole antenna http://www.unadilla.com/?p=36, and found this comment on how this guy (VE2DC) blew up those 40 meters traps ... How could he blow up traps ? Aren't traps just a piece of wire wound around a plastic tubes ?
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/963?page=2

After blowing up a few pairs of their 40M traps... I would caution against trying to use them with high power even they are supposedly rated for it. Interestingly, a pair of 75M traps I have used for years from the same manufacturer have been trouble free.

Nosferatu wrote:I was reading the reviews on the Unadilla dipole antenna http://www.unadilla.com/?p=36, and found this comment on how this guy (VE2DC) blew up those 40 meters traps ... How could he blow up traps ? Aren't traps just a piece of wire wound around a plastic tubes ?
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/963?page=2

They could short out if the wire diameter isn't large enough... I think in VE land they can use 1kW of power.

vk6hgr wrote:

Nosferatu wrote:I was reading the reviews on the Unadilla dipole antenna http://www.unadilla.com/?p=36, and found this comment on how this guy (VE2DC) blew up those 40 meters traps ... How could he blow up traps ? Aren't traps just a piece of wire wound around a plastic tubes ?
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/963?page=2

They could short out if the wire diameter isn't large enough... I think in VE land they can use 1kW of power.

Yes indeedy, they could overheat and short or go open circuit - just like any electrical conductor with too much current. They may also have capacitors in them and the rated votage was exceeded causing arcing across the plates.
It's a bit of a worry when the rated power wasn't exceeded though (allegedly..)