[TowerTalk] Open Wire Line

[dlhough@vegas.infi.net]

> 
> Very helpful hint, thanks!  Is the Lucite resistant to sun and ice, or is
> something else preferred for extreme sun or ice areas?
>
	I lived and went to the Univ. of Minn. at Mpls. and used it there.
Plenty of ice, and have lived in Las Vegas for boo koo years since where
the sun does nothing but shine and this stuff stands up real good. Just
don't get chinsey with the diameter, go 5/16" with No. 14 or 3/8" with
No. 12 wire.
> 
> >       In a couple of evenings you can knock out a 100' easy. We prefer 600
> > ohm over the 450 ohm.
> 
> Why, please?  What width, with what wire size, do you use for 600 ohm?
>
> 
> Thanks & 73, DavidC  AA1FA

	The 450 sold on the market is to flimsy for me. A second reason is over
the years I've studied many commercial and military installations and
they always prefered 600 ohm and lastly, of course, it works great fact
you can't argue with.

	The reasoning is purely emperical and comes down to observation and
experience. 

	High power here consists of a Collins 30L-1 which puts out 600 watts CW
so the line is No. 14 spaced 6". Bare No. 14 is sold thru electrical
supply houses. The Lucite spreaders are spaced every 18".

	I make up a jig by laying one of the Lucite rods on a 2"x 6"x 18" board
and putting in short nails on each side of the rod. If you had a drill
press and band saw you could do it much faster. Just remember you can't
push a highspeed drill through Lucite to fast. A propane torch,
CAREFULLY USED, causes the Lucite to grip the wire.

	To run the feedlines through the outer wall I get threaded brass stock
(its used in  light fixtures), cover it with clear plastic tubing and
use PVC pipe caps for feedthrough insulators. Drill through the wall 6"
apart and run it through near the antenna tuner.

	I used this antenna on all bands 80-10 for many years racked up lotsa
DX with nothing more than 80-120 watts out of my Viking II, HT-32 or
Collins. Just put up my first beam ever, an X7, this summer.

73
Dave Hough, KC7DM
Las Vegas

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