Here is the summary folks. Findings are that people use it, it's cheap,
and it appears to work, but copper is probably better. There were no
direct comparisons between copper and electric fence wire sent to me.
--ORIGINAL MESSAGE--
I know I've seen this discussed before, but here goes again. Anybody
have experience using electric fence wire for Beverages? Thanks.
--REPLIES--
Galvanized Electric fence wire works super well for any wire antenna you
would like to make .... the difference between efence wirr and copper
wirr is zip on the other end ... (assuming the antenna you are using has
at least a few ohms of radiation resistance ....!) .... also check out
aluminum efence wirr, it works great! I don't solder it, just use a
small piece of aluminum with a screw/nut thru it to attach wirr ... AL
works super in antennas .... been using it for years! Even gotta walla
plaques and certs by it .... have fun de W/7 (the Ultimate Vanity Call!)
... Dave (egram = utahfolk@konnections.com) Dec 19
----
Hi Al!
Electric fence wire works fine...it's cheap, strong and only
moderately difficult to solder to. I normally scrape the galvanizing so
it is bright and then regular solder will bond to it. I suppose
silver solder would be best but I have never used it. Don't believe
everything you hear or read about the necessity of using copper wire.
I have heard close to 300 countries on 160 now and until just recently
electric fence wire is all I have ever used. I recently put up a
couple of Beverages using copper wire and really can't notice any
difference whatsoever. Beware the theoreticians and arm chair experts
on the reflector...electric fence wire works!
73, Bill W4ZV
--W4ZV--
You get what you pay for. The copper coated steel version rusts in a
few years in snow/rain country. The galvanized stuff is a 1000' (or
whatever) resistor.
Anything works for awhile and after a fashion on 160!
73....Carl
--KM1H--
Alfred I used electric fence wire with great success, others will say
it's no good. One thing about it is that it is relatively cheep!
73, Bob NW6N
--NW6N
I use it on half of mine. Works fine.
73
--N4VJ/K4AAA--
I use aluminum electric fence wire for Bevereges. I tried it for ground
wire also but that turned to white dust in about three years.
73, Bob KI0G
--KI0G--
I have 7 #17 Electric Fence Wire Beverages that are put up in the Fall
and then discarded in the Spring. The supports are PVC pipe lashed to
metal fence posts. They work fine - except when we get an ice storm
and the ice build up covers everything. Insulated wire would probably
help this ice scenario, but it is too expensive.
73, K0CS
--K0CS--
It works great! It's probably the cheapest route, too...
73
Dave
KM3T
--KM3T--
I use both aluminum and galvanized. It works FB and the price is right!
73 Jim K9JF/7
--K9JF/7--
howdy, yes I use electric fence wire for beverages.... first stay away
from the
copper coated stuff,,,, most will not last...
i use the gavinized stuff and the al stuff,,,,, the al has more
conductivity
but will strech and/or break more easily,,, ie read,,,, use the al in an
open
field , space, meadow, clear cut etc, and the galvinized stuff in the
woods
where it is less prone to breaking when tree limbs fall on it... hope
that this
helps u.... both types work very well for me...
good luck 73 john W8WEJ
--W8WEJ--
I've done it and it works; however, for almost the same price, you can
get
excellent copper-clad steel #18 wire from the Wireman. It is probably
better electrically and it is a lot easier to work with--connections,
stiffness, etc. Have fun and Merry Christmas.
73, Charles
Charles W. Shaw, N5UL (ex-KB5UL)
Hobbs, NM
<n5ul@wtaccess.com>
--N5UL--
Al,
That's what I'm using. If it doesn't work, someone needs to tell
me....
Mine are:
EU: 400' terminated
SE: 300' terminated
W: 300' nonterminated
All elevated enough except at the ends to let Bambi go
underneath....
73, Jim N9JF
--N9JF--
Hi Al...I used it 20 or so years ago, when you could still find the
copper-clad steel variety; now I think it's all just galvanized or
aluminum.
I also used it for radial wire (though I wouldn't bury the aluminum
type).
But either should work fine for a Beverage.
I now use insulated wire for beverages; it supposedly helps cut down on
precipitation static.
73/Jon AA1K
--AA1K--
look for mid west types to comment, but the aluminum stuff works fine as
long as you make solid sealed connections- if wx is ruff on it, may
have to
be replace every season. I would avoid the straight steel types mostly
because too hard to handle, and hard to connect to
73
robin, wa6cdr/n6ll/xz1n
--WA6CDR--
I have used steel electric fence wire and it worked fine, but it is a
bit of
a chore to handle because of its springiness.
>
Bob Eldridge VE7BS,
Erickson Rd, Pemberton B.C. V0N 2L0
eldridge@whistler.net
--VE7BS--
HI Al I Use 17Gauge Electric fence wire for Radials and Beverages
I find that this works ok. In fact I think the Beverage hears better
than
my one made from Insulated wire but There could be other reasons for
this!
Thats that de JOhn kd1ia@ids.net
--KD1IA--
Electric fence wire works for me...you just cannot solder to it. I use
compression clamps made out of brass. Or, I've gone through the last
insulator and right to a screw stud on a box where I change to coppper.
Electric fence wire works for me on beverages and ground plane wire.
Cheap!
Lee
k0wa@southwind.net
--K0WA--
I found a couple of rolls of 15ga (?) aluminum wire at the electric
fence store. 1/4 mile for $18....Dig in the pile or ask them to order.
I used the small aluminum ground clamps for connections and gooped with
RTV. Also used SS bolts and double nuts, with coax copper under one and
AL wire under the other. 80 & 40 inv V's up for 4 years..
GL
--K2RK--
It SUCKS
Dont use it
73 Jeff K1ZM@aol.com
--K1ZM--
Al, Please let me know what information you got back on this question.
I installed a beverage, built with Aluminum electric fence wire, and am
trying to decide if it is worth replacing the wire. This beverage was
built
last summer, when the wx was good. I used the electric fence wire
because thats what I happened to have laying around. The beverage
works fine, but I keep wondering if it would work better if I had gone
to
Home Depot and done it right.
73 de Ron N0AT
--N0AT--
--END--
--
Al, KE1FO, ex. KE6BER mailto:ke1fo@contesting.com or ke6ber@tiac.net
Check out my web page, http://www.tiac.net/users/ke6ber for summaries
from the contest reflector and a growing list of amateur radio links.
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