Over the weekend I took my mast down for maintenance. I noticed a lot of rust on the hardware (bolts and nuts) for the 26" FA antenna. I sprayed them with a silicone spray. I was really surprised at the rust, though. I thought this was designed to be exposed to the elements. Also on the same mast is an anemometer from Davis Instruments that has been up since 2007. It shows no signs of corrosion at all.
Has anyone else noticed rust on their mounting hardware? If not, it’s possible I accidentally switched hardware with another antenna I bought on amazon.com. I think I have an extra packet lying around in the house.
It is probably not avoidable with the current hardware.
Aluminium and steel (even stainless) are going to have galvanic reactions.
I have seen an antenna designed for harsh environments, however, it was over 300 Euros.
It will be worse in areas that have salt in the air (like near oceans).
As I stated in my original post, I have a Davis Instruments anemometer and weather vane on the same mast (aluminum). It has been there since 2007 and shows no sign of corrosion. The black telephone wire, which is also made to take the weather, was a bit faded, but the hardware was just fine. The FA antenna has been installed for only a few months.
I think the FA hardware is galvanized and the Davis hardware is stainless steel, but I’m not positive about this.
am using all weather tape and plastic to protect the terminal ports, i check on my antenna every once a month so far so good no rust no corrosion except for the mast
