At 08:24 AM 4/21/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Heres on for the experts here,
>
>I am intending to use some AL 1/2 inch hardline. The problem is that it
>doesn't have a jacket. Just bare Al. I suspect that it would be bad
>form to thread this up the tower against the galvanized steel. What
>solutions have any of you found to work around this problem.
>
>Jay, WX0B
Hi Jay,
I've found that even using 3/4" CATV cable without a jacket, would somtimes kink
when running up the tower. The black PE jacket makes it much more stiff that I
would rather use 1/2" with a jacket than a 3/4" without it.
I had two runs of 3/4" without a jacket up the tower for 100' for two years
and didn't
see any evidence of corrosion before it was replaced by some .840" with a
jacket.
It may just be that I'm trying to convince myself that it was worth the
work of changing,
but it seems to be quiter. I sometimes noticed "popping sounds" on the
receiver that
I would think were from the unjacketed cable. I had heard that K8CC had some
prolems with this, but don't know how severe, or if there was a fix, and it
was always
in the back of my mind.
I drove by every CATV warehouse in the area and kept asking for end rolls.
It paid
off too. I was able to get 3000' plus of the .840" with a jacket, for just
hauling it away.
I then made my own connectors, cut the cable to multiples of 1/2 wavelength
of the
design frequency and added RG213 to reach. I think I'd start "shopping" for
some
jacketed cable before using what you have just because you might be able to
get a
better one (ie. jacket/ larger diameter/ less loss)
for a very small investment.
GL,
Scott K8DX (ex NI8L)
--
FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests: towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: owner-towertalk@contesting.com
|