[TowerTalk] Best wire (Was: Who makes Flexweave wire)

[Guy Olinger, K2AV]

For what it's worth, I've had good luck with flex-weave, by doing the
following:

1) Only use the type with the insulating jacket.

2) Never run the wire through a pulley or loop so that the wire goes back
and forth, abrading or compressing the jacket, eg. don't use it as a rope.

3) At the ends you may be tying knots with the bare wire (which is why I
love the stuff). When you are done, put some tension on the wire and knots
like they will be in the air. COMPLETELY solder any bare wire. It wicks very
nicely. MAKE SURE that where the wire goes into the unremoved jacket that
you allow the solder to wick into the wire beneath the end of the jacket. A
half-inch is good. Let it cool and put it up. Never had first problem with
it.

***>>> If you give water a path into it, either originally or by letting
abrasion or "1.5 kw plus ends of dipole right in the tree where it can touch
while power applied" create a leak, the water will ruin the conductor
inside, and it's toast.

Pay attention to 1) 2) 3) and you have a low-resistance conductor that keeps
its characteristics.

If your circumstances are such that the above cannot be followed, better use
something else.

My 160 flexweave inv el stayed up no problems for 5 (?) years until a
lightning strike evaporated it, both support ends were from trees, and it
would go up and down a great deal in a storm. Never broke.

Other flexweave antennas that I've put up just for SS/FD were wonderful, in
that they spooled out nicely, and coiled up nicely for storage. Like coiling
up an extension cord. Also use it for anything strung off the tower, where I
have to remove it to allow some tower work to proceed, like taking
down/putting up a beam.

Probably go with the regular copper stuff, tho, for other uses with fixed
supports at both ends, and up permanently.

YMMV, of course.

73, Guy
K2AV

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ed W4EP" <ed@privette.com>
To: <w2up@mindspring.com>; <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2001 10:04 AM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Best wire (Was: Who makes Flexweave wire)


>
> I had exactly the same problem on my 4el 5 band quad. (almost 1000' of
> wire) It lasted less than a year. I will never use anything but 7 strand
> hard drawn copper again.
> 73, Ed
>
>
> At 09:47 AM 12/11/01 -0500, Barry wrote:
>
> >I had a problem with flexweave, too, on my 80m slopers. The
> >strands abraded each other as it swayed it the breeze, rubbing off
> >enough copper to expose the steel core. This rusted and eventually
> >broke. Average lifespan for me 2 years.
> >I went back to good old solid copperweld. Harder to work with, but
> >will last a lifetime.
> >Barry W2UP
> >
> >On 11 Dec 01, at 14:35, George Shaw wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > So if flex-weave is not the bees knees as per the adverts what is?
> > > What is the best wire out there to use for antenna work that meets
> > > strength, performance, and weather resistance regardless of cost?
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > George Shaw
> > >
> > > eMail:                          george.shaw@btinternet.com
> > > eMail:                          george.shaw@ukf.net
> > > Fax/Voice Mail:          +44 (0) 87 0133 6126
> > > Mobile:                       +44 (0) 77 4036 1163
> > > ICQ#:                          1741675
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > List Sponsored by AN Wireless:  AN Wireless handles Rohn tower
> > > systems, Trylon Titan towers, coax, hardline and more. Also check out
> > > our self supporting towers up to 100 feet for under $1500!!
> > > http://www.anwireless.com
> > >
> > > -----
> > > FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/towertalk
> > > Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com Administrative
> > > requests:  towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com Problems:
> > > owner-towertalk@contesting.com
> > >
> >
> >
> >--
> >Barry Kutner, W2UP              Internet: w2up@mindspring.com
> >Newtown, PA                     Frankford Radio Club
> >
> >
> >List Sponsored by AN Wireless:  AN Wireless handles Rohn tower systems,
> >Trylon Titan towers, coax, hardline and more. Also check out our self
> >supporting towers up to 100 feet for under $1500!!
http://www.anwireless.com
> >
> >-----
> >FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/towertalk
> >Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com
> >Administrative requests:  towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
> >Problems:                 owner-towertalk@contesting.com
>
>
>
> List Sponsored by AN Wireless:  AN Wireless handles Rohn tower systems,
> Trylon Titan towers, coax, hardline and more. Also check out our self
> supporting towers up to 100 feet for under $1500!!
http://www.anwireless.com
>
> -----
> FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/towertalk
> Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com
> Administrative requests:  towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
> Problems:                 owner-towertalk@contesting.com
>
>




List Sponsored by AN Wireless:  AN Wireless handles Rohn tower systems,
Trylon Titan towers, coax, hardline and more. Also check out our self
supporting towers up to 100 feet for under $1500!!  http://www.anwireless.com

-----
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