[TenTec] Shielded Twin Lead

[JAMES HANLON]

Check out the following page at Fair Radio Sales, http://www.fairradio.com/wirean.htm<http://www.fairradio.com/wirean.htm>   Scroll down about 20% of the page and you will find BELDEN "CITY COLOR" SHIELDED TWIN-LEAD TV WIRE; two 26 AWG 7X34 stranded copper-covered steel conductors with Beldfoil shield.  Recommended for VHF-UHF-FM use in high interference metro areas.  75 ft (3 lbs), $8.00.  I have used a run of this cable to continue the ladder-line feedline from my 268 foot center fed zepp through my house to my "second shack" in the garage where I connect it to a typical transmatch.  I just connect it to the end of the nominal 450 ohm open-wire feeder when I need to.  I have approximately 30 feet of it running through the house adjacent to other house wiring.  I have not made any measurements on it for loss, but I can tell you that it does function on 80, 40 and 20 meters.  I use transmitters all the way from about 2 watts out from my Argonaut 505 to 200 watts out of my Globe King 275, and I have never had any trouble with the line breaking down, either internally or to anything else.  I also have no indications of any undue amount of RF in the house wiring.  

Jim Hanlon, W8KGI
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Glassrus<mailto:glassrus at houston.rr.com> 
  To: 'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment'<mailto:tentec at contesting.com> 
  Sent: Saturday, October 08, 2005 11:38 AM
  Subject: [TenTec] Shielded Twin Lead


  With all the discussion of twin lead and ladder line, I remembered a
  reference in the late Joe Carr's "Practical Antenna Handbook" to shielded
  twin lead. He describes it as: "This type of line uses the same form of
  construction as TV-type twin lead, but it also has a braided shielding
  surrounding it. This feature makes it less susceptible to noise and other
  problems."

  Has anyone used this cable? Is it still made? Would it be more tolerant to
  nearby conductive surfaces?

  Thanks,
  Paul N8NOV