[TowerTalk] Air dielectric cable

[Roger D Johnson]

Hi Dick....

  Just what type of line are you talking about? It
has been my experience that unpressurized air line
will have problems with condensation. This is why
virtually every installation will have an N2 or dry
air system for pressurizing the line.

  I have seen military antenna tuners, etc that have
a fitting for a silica-gel cartridge. When the crystals
turn pink, the cartridge is replaced. I've wondered
whether a similar system would work for ham use on air
dielectric cable. I'd put a connector with an air fitting
on the shack end of the cable and run a piece of tubing
thru the lid of a gallon jar containing silica-gel. That
way when the line "breathes", the air would be pulled
from the dry air in the jar.

73, Roger