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Re: [TenTec] Balun Isolator

To: tentec@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Balun Isolator
From: "Dr. Gerald N. Johnson" <geraldj@storm.weather.net>
Reply-to: geraldj@storm.weather.net, Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Fri, 09 May 2008 18:47:15 -0600
List-post: <tentec@contesting.com">mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
On Fri, 2008-05-09 at 16:43 -0400, Ronald C. McConnell wrote:
> Good. 
> I figured someone would speak up.  :)
> 
> As Stuart notes, the open spaces in a 95% coverage
> coax criss-cross braid are much smaller than a wavelength at HF
> and probably do not translate to anything like 5% ingress or egress.

My experience is that the  144 MHz signal outside 95% coverage coax is
about 40 to 50 dB down from the signal inside. In applications like a
repeater where the cavity set gives 90 to 95 dB of isolation, double
shielded or solid jacketed cable is required else when tuning for a
null, one nulls that leakage and moving one of the coaxes destroys that
null. So that says that double shielded coax leaks a lot less than -50
dB, maybe as much as -90 dB. At least at 2m when adjusting repeater
cavities using all double shielded coax, I've not found changing coax
positions affects the isolation amount or frequency.
> 
> I seem to recall seeing stuff where the "shield" is
> just a few wires sort of spiraled around the coax core.

That we call cheap audio cable. The spiral wrap is cheap to apply and
works poorly at all frequencies.
> 
> "That is a good project for someone to measure how much current passes 
> thru the 5 per cent open space."

When braiding real wires, its really hard to get the open space below
95% even when braiding as ribbons 4 to 8 wires wide.

> And report back.

Its been done as reported today.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Ron McConnell
> w2iol
> 
> "When you can measure
> what you are speaking about,
> and express it in numbers,
> you know something about it.
> But when you cannot measure it,
> when you cannot express it in numbers,
> your knowledge is of a meagre
> and unsatisfactory kind.
> It may be the beginning of knowledge,
> but you have scarcely in your thoughts
> advanced to the state of science."
>  - 1891, William Thomson, Lord Kelvin,
> 1824-1907, pioneer in thermodynamics,
> hydrodynamics, geomagnetism, electricity,... 
> 
> 
73, Jerry, K0CQ

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