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[TowerTalk] Best coax switch

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Subject: [TowerTalk] Best coax switch
From: W8JI@contesting.com (Tom Rauch)
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2002 10:33:02 -0500
My first coax switch was a plywood board nailed  to the wall, with 
antenna coax cables coming in from above and hanging vertically. I 
soldered a heavy wire along the shields, and bent hooks in the 
center conductors. The feed cable from the rig had a hook in the 
center conductor, and a heavy short braid from shield to the other 
shields.

Gravity made the connection, I just moved the cable to whatever 
antenna I wanted and let it hang. 

My oldest switch is a old PACE CB radio antenna switch that I 
installed a large high-current ohmite switch in almost 35 years ago. 
Even something as small as a Henry 8K wouldn't be able to hurt it.  
It is still in use in my station today switching high power HF and 
VHF antennas, although most switching is now via RCS-8V's.

We can get away with amazing things at HF. The biggest problem 
is almost always mechanical and power handling rather than 
shielding or loss.
73, Tom W8JI
W8JI@contesting.com 

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