Thanks to all who have responded, both to this reflector and to me directly to
my question ("... is #22 wire suitable for ~90' deployable radials ...")
1. Most recommend that unless there is some type of animal, person, or vehicle
traffic that would potentially cross back-and-forth across the radial field
that a #22 wire, especially insulated, should be OK. A few reported using a
lighter gauge wire (#24 on down) with success. Wire size isn't a critical
electrical variable in an installation such as mine (approx 40 wires).
2. If one is concerned about #1, then #20 or #18 should be your minimum.
3. Most, but not all, seemed to have purchased their radial wire from salvage,
surplus, ham fests, thrift stores, etc. There seems to be multiple online
sources (I google searched "surplus #22 wire") for all variations of wires (and
wire from CAT 5 cable) suitable for radials.
Regarding the question ("...spooling out radial wires, then re-spooling them in
the spring ..."):
1. Wire 'flexibility' seems to be the concern - how easy is it to un-spool the
radials, then to re-spool them without generating a tangled mess. If possible,
wire insulation or jacket material should be examined and tested prior to the
purchase. Know what you are buying.
2. Many users of deployable radials have purchased garden hose reel systems or
an extension cord reel (a rotary wheel type device in a sturdy frame with a
handle) - either the large (~2' x ~2') hose/cord variety or the smaller
handheld reel/cord types.
3. Several users like to tie the individual radials in a sequence, one to the
next, and twisting together the ends, for both deployment and re-spooling so
that there is one long continuous piece of wire. One or two users built
'packages' of 2, 4, or even 6 wires all in parallel, especially where the
radial lengths are nearly identical. If one has radial wires of multiple
length, then he/she may want to consider color-coding the wire groups of
different lengths (or using a spray paint the ends) to 'label' them for next
seasons lowband operation.
Apologies to those whose valid suggestions may have been left out of this
summary.
73, Rich, K3VAT
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