Topband: Beverage wire question

[Carl]

Use electric fence insulators, they have slots for the wire to pass thru, I 
got mine at a local feed and grain store and there are several varieties.

Carl
KM1H



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Garland" <4cx250b at miamioh.edu>
To: <Topband at contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2014 11:41 AM
Subject: Topband: Beverage wire question


> I've been using 450 ohm ladder line for my two bi-directional 720 ft
> beverages. These are supported on 4x4 posts, spaced 60 ft apart. I'm in a
> windy area, and the ladder line requires constant maintenance. I want to
> replace it with parallel wires, which run through ceramic feedthrough
> insulators screwed onto each post. The wires will be anchored only at 
> their
> ends and under considerable tension. I'm thinking of using solid 14 awg or
> 12 awg copper clad steel wire (Wireman 502 or 503).  I know there are less
> expensive choices, but at this point I'm so tired of working on the
> beverages, that the durability and reliability is more important to me 
> than
> the expense.  I want to make sure that The Wirmean coils the wire on a
> spool, so that it can be easily unwound, and also that it's not too stiff 
> to
> handle. Obviously, I don't want wire that's going to go "sproing" and 
> start
> tangling itself when I try to thread a 720 ft length through the 
> insulators.
> I'd appreciate any suggestions or comments from people who have used this
> stuff. Is 14awg adequate, or do I need to go with the heavier gauge wire?
>
> Tnx,
>
> Jim W8ZR
>
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