Topband: Connector installation on flooded cable

[wa3mej at comcast.net]

I dont clean mine when I use flooded cable (including the 7/8" hardline type)  but this stuff is damn tough to get off of your hands and if you need something to clean up (or the cable) try either GOOGONE or BESTINE  .. both trade names I believe and both available in the hardware store.  They work wonders.. 



Ohhh Tom,  regarding the lightening problem and having beverages vaporize ... I use several (in my case 4) NE2 neon bulbs in parallel and solder them across the termination transformer to ground and another set soldered across the secondary of the feed transformer to ground.  I learned this trick many years ago when working with dedicated telephone lines to remoted equipment (and think some alarm systems use it as well).  It seems to bleed off static buildup and send it to ground before it (the voltage)  gets to high.  Of course nothing will stop a direct strike if it happens.  For me this has had another benificial effect that being it helps bleed off some of the RF coming back down my beverage feed when I transmit with full legal limit  (measured this to verify it too)  but I still switch the beverage to ground on transmit. 



For a beverage I am now using telephone wire called " C RURAL WIRE"  which is similar to what the telephone company uses as drop wire but much more sturdy.. two conductors of #14 copper clad steel suspended from poles and trees by an insulater used for electric fence.. actually the antenna is held to the insulator by one of the little 3" cable ties that break really easy.. if a tree falls on it the cable tie breaks and saves the antenna... ohh you can actually tow a car with the "C RURAL WIRE" its that tough. 



Jim WA3MEJ 

>You normally won't need to clean it, just cut to size, fold the braid back 
>if installation instructions tell you, and slide the connector on.> 

>Although less than safe, I clean mine with MEK when I need to clean it. That 
>let's me inspect for stray strands easier if the cable is really gooey on 
>the end. Other strong solvents also work.