Cantenna Fluid? Need help finding some.

[tvictor@attglobal.net]

Rob,

This webpage
http://listserv.tempe.gov/admin/WA.EXE?A1=ind0405&L=heath#1
has a discussion on different types of oil for hte Cantenna including motor
oil, peanut oil. vegetable  oils, mineral oil, etc.

When a bought a Cantenna in the '70's, I could not find a place that would
sell just a gallon of transformer oil to me at a reasonable price. Finally,
the local Heath store in Alexandria Va was found to sell mineral oil for
it.  The sales person acknowledged that several customers had complained
about the difficulty in finding real transmformer oil in gallon-size
quantities.  I still have this mineral oil in my Cantenna and it has not
gone bad in the approximately 30 years or so that I have had it.  So, I can
recommend mineral oil as a viable substitute for transformer oil.

As for vegetable, peanut, or motor oils that some people claim to use, I
don't recommend any of them.  None of them are known for their heat
dissipation qualities. Their flash points might be low enough to be a fire
hazard undet the right RF contitions.

So, even it you buy mineral oil in small pint quantities at the drug store
or supermarket, you'll probably save in time and effort and the performance
between mineral and transformer oil would not be the great.

Vic WB2STR
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	[HEATH-TEMPE] Cantenna Fluid? Need help finding some.
Date: 	Fri, 15 Apr 2005 23:00:32 -0400
From: 	Robert Myers <rsmyers at ROGERS.COM>
Reply-To: 	Robert Myers <rsmyers at ROGERS.COM>
To: 	HEATH at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV


Hi,

I have purchased a nice Heathkit "Cantenna" that is empty.  What is the
accepted standard for fluid to put into this thing?  I may hit 500 Watts
tops (if that) for up to a couple minutes during the tuning-up phase of
with some rigs, but usually I use it without any linear to load my
SB-401 transmitter.  So it's more like 100 W maximum.  Im really not
searching for an 'ultimate fluid,' I just want something highly heat
conductive, not electrically conductive (of course), and safe according
to those amateurs who have actually used it.

I have heard using mineral oil; another said they use automobile
transmission fluid.  Does mineral oil ever 'go bad,' or I am just
thinking of cooking oil?  I want something I can put in the and never
change it.

I ask because I am assuming 'real transformer oil' (ideal, I suppose)
might be hard to find --- or is it?  And does the 'real' stuff contain
any PCB's anymore?  Finally where would you get the 'real' stuff anyway
--- if there is a safe version of that?

Thanks,
--- Rob Myers
VE3 JQL



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