Topband: RX cables in woods

[Tom W8JI]

> You're right, the larger dia. PVC makes it worse sometimes. When it breaks
> in two, it actually puts more shear on the coax inside.

If it is like what happens here, the hard PVC turns the small radius that 
the soil and rubber can deform around into a speed bump. :)

> I do have flooded F-6 running on the ground, along a fence feeding my
> Beverages, where it's not likely that any vehicles can drive over it. And
> it's withstood the horses that used to be here; not even their hooves that
> pushed it into the earth seemed to hurt it any.

> I put this one run of F-6 (to the inverted-L) in PVC conduit for several
> reasons, one of which was to keep my neighbor's cows from biting it as 
> they
> graze. I just didn't think of what would happen when the ground under it
> got muddy. It seemed like a good idea at the time. :-)

My damage issue is mostly Racoons, but occasionally field rats.  Baby cows 
used to be bad until they learned cable isn't cud.

> I have a 1000' spool of F-11 with a messenger wire. I'll likely replace 
> the
> stuff on the ground with it, about 15' high.
>

I only do that where necessary to cross roads or creeks. I have occasional 
cable and wire damage from lighting, and I also have too many antennas 
crossing the cables to make me feel good about elevating the feed cables.

Best thing I ever built was a radial and cable burying plow. Even in the 
clay, I can run coax up to 1/2 inch into the ground several inches deep at a 
good clip. Nothing easier than just loading a cable reel, and driving along 
at a walk or jog speed. :) I can go real fast, but a big rock can bust the 
hitch pins if the tractor is going too fast. I occasionally weld a new front 
edge on the plow when it gets too thin. Otherwise, it is pretty much 
maintenance free.