Topband: Chewing Critters

[Dick and Adele Bingham]

Greetings everyone

The direct-burial coax and other forms of jacketed hardline can often be obtained as "reel-ends" from your local CATV system. Find out who is responsible for their storage yard and see if they can give you some either for free or the Aluminum scrap-value.

In the past, I have obtained sections up to several hundred feet AND free EHS strand-cable used to support overhead coax. Short pieces are usually a bother to them especially the coax.

BTW, it is easy to make connectors for the ends of the hardline. Use the connectors the CATV folks use (the ones with the outside threaded-ends and the long center-conductor) and do the following:

- Unscrew the outside threaded shell from a Male PL-259 connector and then carefully cut off the portion w/o threads.
- Screw this shell onto the threads of the CATV connector
- Cut the CATV connector's center-pin length appropriate to engage a type-N Female barrel connector when screwed into
  the PL-259 sleeve.
- Tape to seal.

Dick - w7wkr CN98pi
Stehekin, WA