Topband: Fwd: RE: Critters and Cables

[Bill Tippett]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Rick Hiller" <rhiller at sdicgm.com>
To: <topband at contesting.com>
Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 16:00:17 -0500
Subject: RE: Topband: Critters and Cables
Hello, Bob,

Within the seismic exploration business (doodle buggin) years ago, where
multi-wire cables were used on the ground for miles in all types of areas
with all types of critters....this same situation was a problem.   Our
factories making the land cables tried everything under the sun and nothing
seemed to work.  Some animal, be it a small rat or a large cow would eat it,
no matter what.  The engineers mixed anything they might thought would be a
deterrent in with the coating mix in the extruding machine, but nothing
seemed to work.  The electrical business has this problem too with rats in
building walls.....all they got was fried rats.

I had squirrels chew through some 'tarred line' fishing string that I use
for my loop guys, so I covered it with cheap plastic tubing for a few feet
up the guy from the tie point....it not only covers it, but the tubing moves
around freely on the rope, so they did not get a good foothold .....seems to
have worked.  Loops are still up.

Rick -- W5RH