Topband: Source for durable ladder line?

[Ulrich Weiß]

we do not use WD-1A wire for our 2-wire beverages @CR3W any more as the 
attenuation of it (used as a 2-wire-line) is even higher than that of 
RG-58... we use 180m of the 300 Ohm flat line (of DX-Wire, DK1RP)) for our 
EU-Beverage and abt 120 m of 75 Ohm-SAT-cable (cu - not stacu!) for our 
NA-Beverage, both with excellent results... of course, with the proper 
transformers on BN-202-73 cores... from our experience, I would recommend 75 
Ohm-Coaxial cable, as it is relatively cheap and rugged and its attenuation 
is hardly worse than that of the more expensive 300 Ohm ribbon... however, 
the inner conductor must be solid copper as the copper plating of "stacu" is 
too thin for low frequencies and causes unexpectedly high attenuation 
there...
twisted WD-1A is ideal for 1-wire beverages, because of its ruggedness and 
the chance to check for continuity if the 2 wires are connected at the end, 
and, of course, for its low price...
vy 73
Uli, DJ2YA

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- 
From: Herbert Schoenbohm
Sent: Monday, January 13, 2020 12:24 AM
To: john.kaufmann at verizon.net
Cc: topband
Subject: Re: Topband: Source for durable ladder line?

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