[TowerTalk] Tom's blackened coax comment. Reply de K0FF

[K0FF]

>Any time I've had "blackened braid", it has been from water. It
>doesn't matter if the cable is one month old, if I get water in the
>cable the braid turns black and loss goes way up.

*Ditto de K0FF


>
That's one reason why braiding should never be used for lightning
>grounds, another is it already has several times the RF resistance
>of a smooth conductor of the the same dimensions.


*Ditto EXCEPT I quit relying on copper strap 100% at the tower locations
after one 2" wide stip
developed a hairline crack all the way across it's width. The cause was
metal fatigue, because that tower "sung" or vibrated at an audio frequency
even in a mild breeze. Since all 3 legs are grounded to their own burried
groundrod system, one or two of them also have a braided copper (slathered
with goo) or aluminum strap.  K0FF

>I wonder what other people's experiences are?
>73, Tom W8JI


*Happy Building, Geo>K0FF


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