[TowerTalk] Re: [Amps] Relays for RF switching

[Tom Rauch]

> Owing to its much higher resistivity, seems like the
> overall conductivity of the flooded braid might be
> negatively impacted if the solder was applied too
> generously. Any thoughts on this?

I've never used it, so I don't know. The largest problem
isn't the resitivity of the materials, it is the
construction.

Cable manufacturers use special lays of weave to minimize
the "in and out" and maximize strand to strand connection.
You loose most of that when the shield is removed and
"fluffed". When a cable is damp, the shield corrodes and the
strand to strand contact goes away. That's why wet cables
with woven braids don't recover from water ingress very well
when they dry.

It isn't that cable shields don't or won't work. Factually a
weave is considerably worse than a parallel strand and a
parallel stand is worse than a smooth surface. You just have
to oversize a woven conductor and it has higher series
impedance. That's all.

73 Tom