PG1 SAFETY NOTICE WARNING! POWER LINES CAN KILL YOU DO NOT ERECT THIS ANTENNA NEAR ANY OVERHEAD WIRES, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. READ AND FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY 1) Do not erect this antenna near any overhead wires. Assume all such wires to be power lines and deadly. 2) Do not transport this antenna from an assembly location to the installation site if you must travel near or under overhead wires. 3) Request advice from your local power company if power wires are anywhere near the proposed location. 4) If the antenna falls, DO NOT try and stop it. Get out of the way. 5) If any part of the antenna should touch overhead wiring, DO NOT TOUCH IT OR ATTEMPT TO MOVE IT. Call the power company immediately for help. 6) In the event of an accident involving power wiring DO NOT TOUCH THE VICTIM DIRECTLY. Send someone for help. 7) Select a site which limits public access to the antenna. During operation the antenna has a high RF potential. If any possibility exists that people or pets could touch the antenna, place a wooden fence around it. 8) Choose a calm, dry day to erect the antenna. 9) Always enlist the aid of at least one competent person in erecting the antenna. 10) Do not use a ladder in the process of erecting your GAP Antenna. A ladder is not needed and could be dangerous. 11) Do not connect the coax until the antenna is firmly mounted. CHAPTER 7 TIPS AND TROUBLE SHOOTING PG 14 7.0 GENERAL The TITAN DX has been designed to operate on the 8 bands specified. Operation outside the specified bands may damage the antenna. Use of an antenna tuner is not required nor recommended. Tuners will not improve the performance of the antenna, although they may permit a solid state transmitter to put out more power. Operation of the antenna using a tuner on any frequency where the VSWR exceeds 2:1 may damage the antenna. Use when VSWR is less than 2:1 is acceptable. 7.1 MALFUNCTION A) If the antenna fails to resonate on the 75/80 meter band the CAP unit plugged on at the top of the antenna may not be making proper contact or was inadvertently shorted when the screw was inserted. B) If all your standing waves are high, double check the PL259 connector at the base of the antenna and make sure it is open from center pin to shield. C) If only a couple of bands are high eliminate the following possibilities; 1) Bad coaxial feedline. If the coax has been in use for some time, it may be contaminated. Place a 50 ohm dummy load at the far end of your feedline, in place of the antenna. Any indication of varying VSWR or a standing wave greater than 1:1 suggests defective coax. 2) Mutual coupling with nearby vertical metal objects may detune the TITAN. Check to see if any of the items suggested in section 1.2 & 1.3 apply. 3) Transceivers with built in SWR bridges may not correctly indicate when their power reduction circuits take over. Retest with a separate VSWR meter. 4) The transceiver or transmitter may be emitting a spurious signal in addition to the desired signal. Retest using the lowest possible power level. If possible try another rig. If you are unable to solve the problem, contact the factory for assistance. Please have section 6.2 filled in and handy when you call. We do not charge for assistance and our phone number is (561) 571-9922. PG 3 READ THE SAFETY NOTICE ON PAGE 1 BEFORE CONTINUING CHAPTER 1: SITE CONSIDERATIONS 1.0 General Ideally, it is best to locate the TITAN in a clear area, away from wires, metal buildings, fences and trees. As a practical matter, many amateurs must compromise in locating their antennas. This section contains specific guidelines to assist in making those compromises. 1.1 Site Safety A) Reread the safety notice now. Stay away from power lines, they are life threatening. B) Choose a site that it is not easily accessible to people or pets. CONTACT WITH THE ANTENNA IS DANGEROUS AND CAN BE FATAL. The counterpoise rods and the rest of the TITAN may be at high RF potential during operation. If it is not possible to site the TITAN to prevent access, then it should be placed high enough such that people cannot reach it or it should be surrounded by a fence. 1.2 Nearby Wires and Antennas A) In general, any vertical antenna can exhibit mutual coupling with any other vertical metal structure or wire if placed within a few wavelengths or the structure approaches resonance at the operating frequency. B) Try to avoid metal objects which may be within 30' of the proposed GAP installation site. These may include wires, towers, down spouts, screened porches, feedline from other amateur antennas or TV antennas, metal pipes on your property or adjoining properties. Naturally, if these metal objects are short you can get closer than 30'. C) Nearby horizontal wires or structures may affect the performance of a vertical antenna, but they are not as likely to, as a vertical structure is. 1.3 Buildings A) It is best to locate the antenna as far from the home as possible, to minimize interaction with house wiring, and RFI to consumer electronics. B) Metal walled or roofed buildings can affect antenna operation. If you have no choice, your GAP should be located at a corner of the building, rather than broadside. In any case, the TITAN should be tested first away from the building. See Section 6.0. C) Stucco buildings may have metal mesh in their walls and should be viewed as a metal structures, until proven otherwise. D) Mobile homes or RV's are a special case, which involve individual experimentation. Test the antenna on the ground before attempting installation near or on the RV. Mounting above the roof line is preferred. 1.4 Guying The TITAN is designed to withstand substantial winds unguyed. Guys are a form of insurance, however, which we recommend. Four nonconductive guy ropes should be fastened above the center insulator. Use a stainless clamp or optional guy clamp available from GAP. Leave some slack to allow for temperature changes. Guys should be used for roof mounting. Do not rely on a chimney mount or tripod to support the TITAN, even moderate winds can produce enough force to damage the mount or the chimney. PG12 FIGURE 7 6.0 PRETEST PROCEDURE It is always best to test the TITAN at ground level before elevating it. Pretesting is not difficult and may save time and effort in the total process. This is particularly true if the antenna is to be significantly elevated. A) Locate an open space. B) Obtain an 11/4" pipe 5' long. C) Attach this pipe to the TITAN see section 5.4. D) Obtain 3 lengths of rope 25-30' long. Attach ropes just above the GAP center insulator. F) Dig a small hole or insert a small diameter tube or large screwdriver in the ground, G) With help raise the antenna until it is vertical. H) Place your 5' pipe in the hole or over the screwdriver or tube, this will keep the base in place. I) Secure the temporary guy ropes. J) Complete the hoop assembly see section 5.3. For this test it is not necessary to put screws into the Counterpoise rods. PG5 CHAPTER 3: ASSEMBLY 3.0 General The assembly of the GAP TITAN requires no special tools and a nut driver has been supplied for your convenience. Plastic stand-offs that support the tuner rods are attached to the aluminum mast at their approximate proper positions to simplify assembly. Do not remove these at this time. Before starting assembly, check the various parts in the shipping container against the pictorial parts list in figure 2 to establish all parts are present. Next review Figure 1 which depicts an assembled TITAN. As you proceed to assemble your TITAN, use this diagram. NOTE: That in the assembly instructions, when a single hole is identified on a tuner rod it is thru drilled. Thru drilled holes provide you with a backup should you accidentally strip a hole by over tightening. We found that telling you to insert a screw and washer gets repetitive, therefore whenever a screw is called for include a washer as well. When attaching jumpers and transitions, the washer should be placed between the ring terminal and the tube. Not between the screw head and ring terminal. When we refer to the "GAP" we are referencing the center insulator with the yellow band. 3.1 Space Required To get started with the assembly, you will need a flat space approximately 30' in length. A driveway or patio surface is ideal. The key to an easy assembly is room to move, a surface which allows you to find the screws you drop and careful attention to the directions. Extra crews have been provided because we know how lawns like to eat screws. 3.2 Mast Assembly Standoffs are positioned on the various mast sections at their approximate final positions. Do not loosen the clamps. A) Locate the Main Section. Place the Main Section on a flat surface. Stretch out the coax that protrudes from each end. NOTE The coax that goes to the top of the antenna has a yellow ring terminal. B) Locate the Top Section. Place the end without the notch over the coax cable with the yellow terminal. C) Slide the Top Section into the Main Section. Gently push the Top Section into the Main Section beyond the matching holes, until the yellow terminal and spade connectors are exposed. D) Plug the CAP unit onto the spade connectors found on the coaxial cable. Make sure the male spades on the CAP unit align with the female spade terminals on the coax. E) Pull the Top Section back out and align it's four screw holes with the four holes in the Main Mast Section. Insert 4 screws. Snug all screws first before tightening one particular screw. NOTE This procedure should be repeated wherever multiple screws are inserted. Snug first then tighten F) Place the yellow ring terminal at the top of the antenna through the slot and over the nearby drill hole. Insert a screw and tighten securely. WARNING: Make sure the CAP unit is pushed down below the screw, so it does not crack the CAP unit when you insert it. G) Locate the black dust cover and place it over the Top Section. PG 10 E) Locate the wire extension with the two ring terminals F) Take the ring terminal from the Counterpoise Hoop wire and one terminal from the wire extension. Place both terminals over the drill hole at the end of the 80" counterpoise rod that has the yellow end cap and is attached to the aluminum tube on the Counterpoise bracket. see figure 6. Insert a screw attaching these terminals to the Counterpoise rod. G) Circle the ends of the Counterpoise rods with the Counterpoise Hoop placing an End Cap on each Counterpoise rod as you circle. H) Find the Dacron cord with the ring terminal. Feed the end of the Counterpoise wire thru the split bolt, the ring terminal on the Dacron cord and back through the split bolt. The distance between the split bolt and the ring terminal on the Dacron should be about 2" or running the wire through the split bolt, the ring terminal on the Dacron and back through the split bolt creates, roughly a 2" loop. I) Thread the Dacron cord thru the vacant ring terminal of the wire extension. Pull the cord until the Counterpoise Hoop has no slack in it but, do not over tension the hoop. For starters your Dacron should be about 12". If necessary slide some of the hoop wire through the split to either create more length or take up slack. Tie a temporary knot in the Dacron cord to the ring terminal on the wire extension. PG7 A)Locate the two short standoffs on the Main Section. Slide the 51" Top tuner rod thru these standoffs so the screw holes are towards the GAP. Loosen and adjust the standoffs so the tuner rod is parallel to the mast, now tighten the clamps. B) Locate the drill hole 10" from the end of this tuner rod. Position this hole between the two standoffs and insert a screw and tighten. This is a stop screw C) Slide the tuner rod toward the GAP. Locate a black jumper. Remove the screw holding the lower GAP lead, see fig. 3. Place the black jumper under the screw with the GAP lead, reinsert and tighten. D) Attach the other end of the jumper to the hole at the end of the Top tuner rod with a screw and tighten. E) Locate the four standoffs on the Mid section just below the GAP. Loosen their clamp. Form these four into a cross, perpendicular and immediately below the GAP. Tighten the clamp securely. F) Locate the four standoff assembly at the top of the Lower Section. Form these four into a cross perpendicular to the mast. Tighten the clamp lightly. Now locate the longest standoff on the upper cross assembly. Rotate the lower cross assembly until it's longest standoff is in line with the one on the upper unit. Tighten the clamp. G) Take the four 102" Mid tuner rods and insert a screw in the hole 10" from the end of each rod and tighten. This a stop screw. H) Slide a 102" rod thru each standoff in the top cross, starting with the end opposite the screw just inserted and then into the bottom standoffs. Each rod should be parallel to the Main mast. You may have to adjust the lower cross unit to achieve parallel rods. Each rod should stop at the stop ...