[TenTec] OT: Openwire/Window Line and Bad Wx

[Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP]

Wade,

That article is basically the same story that Lew McCoy (W1ICP) told me in
1963.
I switched immediately from coax to openwire for my low band antennas and
used it at nearly every QTH for the next 50 years.
Made my first openwire feedline using hair curlers "borrowed" from my two
sisters.

Now days there's a better way to do it.
It's a little pricy but very easy to use and virtually indestructible.
Lasts forever.
It is the Ladderline Spreaders from DL6SX.

These come in widths of 2, 4, and 8 inches.
Each end of a spreader looks like a fork, with 3 fingers.
The ends of the fingers are bent 90 degrees, the center one being bent down,
the outer ones bent up.
The wire slips easily into the fork but won't slip out.

I found I needed 1 spreader per foot when using the 2" ones.
It's about 1 per 18" when using the 4" ones.

Here is (almost) a link to pictures of these spreader.
See: http://www.dx-wire.de/brit/  THEN on the left, click on "Ladderline"

I've tried most everything else commercially available and find that nothing
else comes even close to the quality and design of these.
I guess the biggest problem is, there is no US distributor for these.

If there is enough interest in these, we could do a bulk order and I can get
them to the states (to Tennessee) for a very low shipping cost (probably
zero).  There is a 6% duty on all stuff coming into USA.  Somebody in
Tennessee (near Knoxville) would have to pick them up from our shop there
and distribute them.  

I HAVE NO COMMERCIAL INTEREST IN THE COMPANY IN THAT LINK, in fact it is the
biggest competitor to my own company, but its owner and I are in the same
contest club and good friends.

73
Rick, DJ0IP



-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Wade Staggs
Sent: Monday, July 29, 2013 5:27 PM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] OT: Openwire/Window Line and Bad Wx

Hello Rick,
                 I did go to the archives and read the W1ZR article. It was
pretty basic stuff. There is another source of info about Open Feeders.
Just go to Google and search ... The Lure of Ladder Line .... We teach a
beginners class for Technician and also the General Class here in Tennessee
and I always hand out copies of this article and explain feed lines. Is it
just me ... or has the good old Open Feeder type of feed line ( Ladder Line
) been making a come back? Guess I will be investing in some 14 gauge wire
and some type of spreaders. Thanks ...

   Wade/KJ4WS
I wonder if Epay has any old fashioned Dog Bones for sale?

On Mon, Jul 29, 2013 at 3:54 AM, Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP <Rick at dj0ip.de> wrote:

> I extracted this topic from the other thread on the Model 238.
>
> How does bad weather affect openwire compared to its effect on window
line?
> Lots of opinions, lots of myths.
>
> Bob Allison (WB1CGM) and Joel Hallas (W1ZR) tested this to find out.
> Their results are reported in the November 2009 issue of QST on page 66.
> See: http://www.dj0ip.de/spiderbeam-1/spiderpole/pole-base-mount/ and 
> then select "W1ZR" as author and "2009" as year.
> Unfortunately you have to be a member of ARRL to download this and it 
> is copyrighted, otherwise I would post the download on my web.
>
> Summary, for 95 ft. of feedline (the length they tested), the change 
> is negligible in both.
> It is ever so slightly worse with window line, but less than 0.2dB.
> NEGLIGIBLE!
>
> The real difference is, true openwire changes it impedance only 
> slightly when wet, whereas the window line changes more and generally 
> requires re-tuning the matchbox.
>
> One word of caution, which should be obvious:  Neither are suitable 
> for running along the ground, whether wet or dry!
>
> Being an operwire fanatic, I personally found this to be one of the 
> most useful articles ever published in QST.
>
> 73
> Rick, DJ0IP
>
>
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