Topband: 160M wire

[Guy Olinger, K2AV]

You can find SILVER-plated, teflon coated, stranded #12 in 400 or 500 
foot reels from time to time on EBay. Think that might hold up rather 
well and possibly perform a little better over time. I've also seen 
#10 in the same stuff, but getting heavy and pricey.

I use the stuff out in the woods. It's also a little shorter than bare 
for the same resonance. Teflon is far less lossy than PVC coating.

Need to solder the ends and let the solder wick well into the part 
inside the teflon. Nice that the teflon doesn't melt with the heat. 
And then I drown the part around the end of the teflon in liquid tape. 
That would minimize any salt water in the strands over time.

73, Guy

>So far tinned,
stranded #16 teflon coated wire seems to last a year or so. This past 
season
the wire inside the Teflon coating broke, but the outer covering held 
up the
antenna. Guess the Teflon coating is strong. The tinning seems to keep 
the
wire from corroding. The sun or salt doesn't seem to affect the Teflon
coating.

>I wouldn't think copperweld would hold up with the salt environment?
Any recommendations or do you think the teflon wire is the best way to 
go?
If it is, do you know where I can buy it? I don't know where the piece 
that
is at WP2Z came from.