help with loran coupler needed
 

I was going to take my old loran antenna off the mount and remove the
antenna and clean the coupler body. Found the antenna is "frozen" in place.
Probably corrosion of one type or another. I've been squirting WD-40 at the
antenna base, hoping it would get down into the threaded area to loosen it
up. No go. When I throw a wrench on the antenna base, grip the coupler
tightly, and try to turn the antenna out, something turns, but it isn't the
antenna coming out. I think the metal threaded socket the antenna screws
into is turning in the plastic coupler body.

Now what? How do I get the antenna loose from the threaded metal socket
without damaging the coupler? I'm worried that if I keep twisting, I might
twist off a wire inside the coupler unit that connects the pc board to the
antenna.

How does the small pc board inside the coupler body connect to the threaded
antenna socket?

help with loran coupler needed
 

"RB" wrote in message
...
I was going to take my old loran antenna off the mount and remove the
antenna and clean the coupler body. Found the antenna is "frozen" in
place.
Probably corrosion of one type or another. I've been squirting WD-40 at
the
antenna base, hoping it would get down into the threaded area to loosen it
up. No go. When I throw a wrench on the antenna base, grip the coupler
tightly, and try to turn the antenna out, something turns, but it isn't
the
antenna coming out. I think the metal threaded socket the antenna screws
into is turning in the plastic coupler body.

Now what? How do I get the antenna loose from the threaded metal socket
without damaging the coupler? I'm worried that if I keep twisting, I
might
twist off a wire inside the coupler unit that connects the pc board to the
antenna.

How does the small pc board inside the coupler body connect to the
threaded
antenna socket?

Well, this probably won't help much, but here's something to think
about. Most coupler PCBs connect to the antenna's metal insert (at the top
end of the plastic housing) by a single pin connector. Male on the metal
insert, female on the PCB usually, although some are reversed. If the
connector pins in your coupler are round, your PCB may not be damaged. Yet.
If your pins are the flat bladed type, and the metal insert turned, well,
results may not be good to say the least.
My advice now is to stop. STOP! Once the metal insert turns, even a
little bit, the watertight seal is broken, and water WILL enter and eat the
PCB for lunch. You may be able to temporarily seal the metal insert with
some flexible sealant like clear silicon sealer, but there is a tremendous
stress at this point by the antenna itself whipped by wind and boat
lurching.
Might be good to start looking for a new coupler body (or at least a
used one that is in better shape than yours is now).
Not to brag, but I'll bet more than one of us has "been there, done
that"!
Old Chief Lynn

help with loran coupler needed
 

RB wrote:

snip
I think the metal threaded socket the antenna screws
into is turning in the plastic coupler body.

Now what?

Is there a visible gap between the socket and the body? If so, dribble
a little crazy glue (cyanoacrylate?) in the gap in the hopes that it
will glue the two outer parts back together without gluing the two
pieces you want to come apart together also. Or may you can drill a hole
in the plastic and/or grind or whittle some of it away to get a place to
the pieces glued back together.

This is sort of destructive disassembly technique, you'll have to fix it
later if you can get it apart.

You've heard about GPS, right? :)

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)

help with loran coupler needed
 

OK. Now it's a challenge!

I'll drill it and try to crosspin the round metal socket and see if I can
break the antenna loose that way.

You guys are totally right about having to re-seal things even if I can get
the ant out.

And, I'll pull the circuit board and take a look to find out if the
connection pin is round or flat blade, and if there's any damage.

Thanks for the thoughts.