Topband: Why do rodents eat coax?

Jim Brown jim at audiosystemsgroup.com
Wed Nov 11 15:21:22 EST 2015


I installed a pair of Beverages in 2007. They use DXE hardware and DXE 
window line. The coax was from a 1,000 ft spool of Commscope 5781 that I 
bought before leaving Chicago. The coax lays on the ground; one run is 
about 150 ft, the other about twice that. I just looked at the data 
sheet -- the outer jacket is PVC.

Both Beverages are still working just fine, but I haven't looked with 
TDR. I should do that. Critters around here are mostly squirrels and 
deer, but there are also skunks, raccoons, and bigger ones.

I originally supported the window line with cable ties and electric 
fence post insulators. Over the years, branches and even limbs have 
fallen on the Beverages, and many of those attachments have come loose. 
I've had NO breaks in the window line, but the ends have broken or come 
loose 2-3 times. Now, these Beverages mostly lie on top of low (4-6 ft) 
foliage.

I did one CQWW from PJ4, where the ground is quite hard and there's lots 
of low scrub vegetation. There, our Beverages mostly lay over the low 
scrub, and were terminated by 25-50 ft of wire laying on the ground. 
They worked.

73, Jim K9YC

On Mon,11/9/2015 2:32 PM, Michael Clarson wrote:
> Mike: I did say critter resistant, not critter proof, but so far, so good.
> Polyethylene (PE) is harder, stiffer (but bends almost as much) and more
> slippery than PVC. I'd bet that is what you have. If you can get a number
> off the jacket, Google it for specs. Most direct burial cable is PE or
> something similar, NOT PVC.--Mike, WV2ZOW



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