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[TowerTalk] Using guy wire to carry in coax lines?

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] Using guy wire to carry in coax lines?
From: W8JI@contesting.com (Tom Rauch)
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 18:19:28 -0500
> dressing the coax lines away from the tower (ie, no 90 deg bends in
> the coax) AND because I have a guy wire that goes over the house at
> precisely the right point to take the lines down to the bulkhead panel
> box.
> 
>     I'd like comments on whether this is a good idea to utilize or
>     what the
> pros/cons of this are. I only have 4 lines of coax coming down the
> tower and the single rotor control cable so it wouldn't be all that
> heavy a bundle my lowest tower guy is at 25 feet and the guy post is
> not a long run away. Comments?

I can't speak for the mechanical issues, other than I would question 
hanging too much weight on a cable because you either have to 
have a lot more slack in the span or have a lot more tension. I'd 
check with a mechanical engineer about the mechanical issues, 
because the extra weight certainly will change things. I'd consider 
carefully the potential extra side loading, and extra movement in 
the tower the weighted guy line would allow.

I can speak for the electrical issues. Exiting the tower above 
ground level with cables is asking for problems with lightning. It 
isn't a good idea for RF considerations either, since the cables are 
much more likely to have common-mode RF problems. It also 
prevents you from ever shunt-feeding the tower, should that be in 
the future. Electrically the only benefit is slightly shorter cables. 
Everything else is a negative.


73, Tom W8JI
W8JI@contesting.com 

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