Topband: Source for durable ladder line?

[Jeremy Maris]

*Don’t*  use the two conductors of a single run of  twisted pair WD-1A as the transmission line - you’ll get a *lot* of loss in the transmission line. Instead  parallel the two wires and run two lengths WD-1A (as Jim Garland says).
2 inches / 50mm spacing between them will give a line impedance of around 450 ohms, and much less loss.

Jeremy G3XDK / G4AQG





> On 12 Jan 2020, at 23:24, Herbert Schoenbohm <herbert.schoenbohm at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Probably the most durable two conductor is Military WD-1A telephone cable.
> available on eBay for $50 for about a half-mile.  Special lower
> impedance transformers are required to match the line's impedance.  It is
> also a great source for very durable single wire Beverages with both ends
> connected together.
> 
> Herb, KV4FZ
> 
> On Sun, Jan 12, 2020 at 11:26 AM John Kaufmann via Topband <
> topband at contesting.com> wrote:
> 
>> I'm looking for a source for durable ladder line for making two-wire
>> reversible Beverages for use at the KC1XX contest station.  In the past
>> we've used the line sold by DX Engineering but over the years we've found
>> that the plastic spacers between the wires become brittle and break off.
>> It
>> may be UV exposure that causes this.  We also get some pretty severe
>> weather
>> at KC1XX hilltop location, with ice in the winter and frequent strong
>> winds.
>> The spacer breakage sometimes exposes the wires, which then become twisted,
>> and the ladder line generally becomes weakened and prone to wire breakage.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> What else is available commercially?
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 73, John W1FV
>> 
>> _________________
>> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband
>> Reflector
>> 
> _________________
> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Jeremy Maris
140 Edward Street, Brighton BN2 0JL
jeremy at maris.plus.com