Gold heatshrink availability

blackolive (Ste) · Mar 1, 2022

Im restoring an original 1980s firestik cb antenna. Under the rubber boot on the tip Ive discovered that it was originally gold. Ive searched all over for gold heatshrink but the closest ive come to find was from ebay and its nothing like. Has anyone seen anythingblike the proper stuff anywhere ?

Ross365 · Mar 1, 2022

So, if that really is gold covered tape (expensive) they must have needed to use it, for some kind of electrical purpose :dontknow:

. The use of gold on a CB antenna seems a bit unlikely to me. Is the surface really conductive?

The new stuff looks very much like ordinary mylar (kapton) tape, with no metallic layer.

blackolive (Ste) · Mar 1, 2022

Its a gold coloured heatshrink. You could buy them in black, red, grey, or gold. The stuff i bought is for heatshrinking over battery packs. The antenna has been re heatshrinked in black at some point

Lazurus · Mar 1, 2022

Try overlander batteries, they used to do all sorts when I was into RC planes.

hotponyshoes · Mar 1, 2022

Have you tried shrinking that stuff that you have got?
It might change shade a bit once heated?

Or, what about gold foil/tape then clear heatshrink over the top?

voipio · Mar 1, 2022

Conductive gold foil over the whole of an antenna like the Firestik makes no sense, because the distribution of the varnished copper wire beneath the heat shrink sleeving forms the tuned characteristic of the actual antenna. Sometimes metal sleeving is used for tuning purposes, such as in the Yaesu ATAS-120, and other "screwdriver" antennas, but unlikely to be the case here.

Screwdriver · Mar 1, 2022

Spray it gold then use clear heatshrink. :dontknow:

blackolive (Ste) · Mar 1, 2022

voipio said:
Conductive gold foil over the whole of an antenna like the Firestik makes no sense, because the distribution of the varnished copper wire beneath the heat shrink sleeving forms the tuned characteristic of the actual antenna. Sometimes metal sleeving is used for tuning purposes, such as in the Yaesu ATAS-120, and other "screwdriver" antennas, but unlikely to be the case here.

Its not conductive. Its just gold coloured heatshrink. Having said that the 1979 catalog doesnt mention gold. Might re do it in red cause we all know red transmits better . I did have a grey one years ago. can still rmember gazing into the cb shop window, and was more than excited when Id saved enough paper round money to buy it :clapping: