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Re: [TowerTalk] Low Loss 400, You get what you pay for

Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Low Loss 400, You get what you pay for
From: "Roger (K8RI)" <K8RI-on-TowerTalk@tm.net>
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:00:50 -0400
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>

Michael Ryan wrote:
> Alfredo, I bought a couple of rolls of the BURY FLEX here when I moved down
> to Florida in 1998. I ran this cable from the operating position, through
> the attic, and outside, into a cabinet with Poly Phasers, then up the tower.
> Most of the runs are 130' or so. With the HEAT, HUMMIDITY, 73% of the days
> are in bright SUN, SALT AIR ( right along TAMPA BAY), and summer RAIN and
> tropical storms, the BURY FLEX looks as good today as it did the day I ran
> it outside. The attics here in Florida likely average 120+ degrees on hot
> days by the way.
I'll bet it gets closer to 140 in those attics as we get well over 120 
up here in the frozen North<:-))
>  But with the heavy, thick jacket on this cable as well as
> the flexible stranded center conductor, no worries.  I have some LMR-400
> around and also bought some expensive LMR-600 to use on 220 and 432 yagis. I
> was rather disappointed to say the LEAST at the tender outer jacket on that
> cable.  At nearly $2 a foot I expected better. For HF to 2 meters I would
> not hesitate to use the Bury Flex at all. 
There is LMR-600 and then there is LMR 600 Ultraflex.  The UF has a very 
fragile rubber like jacket that is only rated for 10-15 years while the 
regular 600 is much tougher and UV resistant.  I use LMR 600 for 
everything except the pigtails or runs from the remote switches to the 
sloping dipoles where I need the flexing, less weight, and bulk. There I 
use BuryFlex.  Actually I've used the LMR-240 and CNT-240 to the sloping 
dipoles successfully. I like the 8X with braid plus foil for a shield 
due to the flexibility and may replace the 240 between the remote 
switches and 40 meter sloping dipoles where I'm pushing a KW through 
short runs. (~30-40') although the 240 is rated for a slightly higher 
break down voltage. At these frequencies and short runs loss is not a 
problem, but breakdown voltage is. I can't use 8X or the 240s on 75 
where the SWR near the band edges pushes the voltage too high.

I'd like to see a BuryFlex equivalent to the 8X where the cables take a 
beating going out to those dipoles, but I need light weight and a low 
cross section as it's in an area where the wind funnels through.

73

Roger (K8RI)
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