Topband: Spacers for ladder line

[Charles Moizeau]

I would strongly suggest that you look at the electrical
department at Home Depot.  Among their wire accessory supplies, you will
find some gray plastic staples.  Each one carries two 1 1/2-inch nails
that that you pound in to secure the staple to the outside of your house to
hold in place that big wide electric service cable that brings 220 Volt at 250
or so Amps. electrical service to houses.  The manufacturer is Gardner
Denver Co., and sometime I'll peek at their website. 

 

I recall that you could buy a bag of around fifty of these
plastic staples at Home Depot for not too bad a price.  Greater quantities
are probably available elsewhere at a much better price.  What you can do
with one of these babies is to set aside the two nails and you will then have
yourself a nice rugged, UV-resistant spacer (remember, they're used on the
outside of a house) that gives 1 1/4- inch conductor spacing.

 

You will need to slightly enlarge the two holes in order to
pass a bare, or enamel-insulated, #12 or #14-gauge solid copper wire.  In
order to achieve a tight grip on your wire you can enlarge the hole (which
looks to be about 0.088" diameter) just enough to pass the wire, and you
should then be able to avoid having to use hot glue to hold things in place.

 

It has taken some effort for me to withhold my outrageous
sermon on why almost all of that commercial black stuff is lousy for
feedlines.  Besides, my asbestos BVDs
are away at the cleaners

 

72,

 

Charles, W2SH