James Brooking doesn’t have to replace his handheld VHF’s aerial after doing his own DIY fix
From left: Rubber coating on the aerial was breaking up; with one layer of heat shrink tubing in place, a second is ready to be shrunk over the top of it; finished article looks good as new. Credit: James Brooking Credit: James Brooking Cap Making Machine
The VHF aerial on my handheld radio had perished after several years’ use, and repairs with PVC tape were not very successful and unsightly, writes James Brooking.
I was contemplating buying a new aerial when I thought of a repair using heat shrink tubing to encapsulate the cracked aerial.
The perished VHF aerial covered with tape, and looking a bit tatty. Credit: James Brooking
I had a box of various sizes of tubing bought for electrical repairs on the boat and car.
It was a simple task to peel off the old PVC tape and select the most suitable size of heat shrink tube.
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This slides onto the aerial, is positioned correctly then shrunk using a hairdryer.
For added strength I overlaid a second piece.
The repair blends in with the original profile of the aerial and so ticks the cosmetic box.
And since I had a box of the shrink tubing it was a no cost repair for me.
This idea can also be adapted where an outer rubber casing on any component has perished as long as the tubing can be slid onto it.
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