Bob, AA7BA has a problem with birds on his antenna platform. Here is what he says:

I was having a problem with my maypole antenna; it would not load up on 40 meters. I was talking to Mark, KC7JOG, and he thought it might be because of bird droppings on the platform.

Per Mark I took down the platform and cleaned it up. I replaced all the stainless steel bolt and washers and wire brushed the copper conductor, and put if back together. Mark had me fabricate a Frizbee to fit on top of the platform to keep the bird droppings off the maypole. I send you some pictures of the before and after. And how I attached the frizbee on the maypole.

Click on image for larger image


When First Installed


After Birds Arrived


Frizbee Installed, various views

A White Frizbee might stand up better to the Sun, but Frizbees are cheap. Since this was a new project, only time will tell how well the Frizbee holds up in the Sun, wind, and heat. Using a metal pie plate might work but it has not been tried.

[About a year later]

A new and improved maypole cover. The wife's old 8" frying pan she was going to throw away was used. I drilled hole in the center, removed handle, added a coat of enamel paint and then Replaced the plastic Frisbee. The SWR did not change; 40 meters 1:1 across phone band and on 75 meters, on 3.977.70, 1:1 up to 3.999.00. It's about 1:4 at 3.900.00. No tuner required from 3.900.00 or a little lower on up. The Frisbee was already faded in the AZ sun. Probably would not last more than a year. Aluminum frying pan will outlive me. By the way, I was surprised to see there were no bird droppings on Frisbee.


Pan, drilled and painted


Pan mounted (white against white sky)


Another view from above (just how did he take this picture?)

I wonder if one left the pan handle attached to the pan, if the birds would use that as a perch?

Mark wanted me to give some details of the 17 meter trap I added to my maypole. I like operating on 17 meters but did not have a resident antenna on that band. Mark came up with the idea of using traps on the 40 meter inverted V of the maypole. He said it would be better to use the trap verses adding a 3rd wire for 17 meters because of the angles between all 3 bands would be 60 degrees, and with the trap I can use 2 inverted v's at 90 degrees.. I was able to purchase Unidilla 17 meter traps rated at 2 kw for about $50.00. I took down the 40 meter wire and using the trap manual cut the 17 meter wire first installed the trap. Tuned the wire for 17 meter than preceded with the 40 meter wire. It just took a little time for tuning and I have a 1.2 swr on all of the phone band and 40 meter 1.2 and lower on all of the 40 meter phone band and it did not effect the 75 meter antenna at all . So to recap for $50.00 and a little effort I added a 17 meter antenna.


Looking up the tower


Closeup of Trap


Finished