[TowerTalk] RADIAL WIRE

[Jim Lux]

a lot of that multiconductor cable is flooded with a really goopy material
that is hard to remove.

How about magnet wire..
AWG22, 8 pounds runs about $56 from Mouser (about 500 ft/lb, so 8 pounds is
4000 ft)

A source you might be able to find surplus is that really thin cheap zipcord
used for inexpensive speakers/stereos. 5,000 or 10,000 foot spools turn up
occasionally (a call to some of the surplus dealers around might find it).
For instance
"
1.2 MILLION FEET OF #22 SPEAKER WIRE
1.2 million feet of parallel, 2 copper conductor speaker (zip) wire 22AWG
7/30 stranded Atlas #208-22-7-2J Series 208. UL listed type CL2X- PVC
insulator, clear printed to UL requirements. Nominal OD .065X138, weight- 7
LBS per 1000/LF Asking 5,000 for the lot. MC975
"
Of course, you said you need a lot of wire, but probably not a million feet

Bear in mind that you're going to be working against the scrap value of the
copper, so it pays to check out what copper prices are doing, and don't
expect to get too much below that.  The $56/8 pounds works out to $7/lb,
which is substantially above the $1.40/lb for large purchases of copper
metal.

If it doesn't really need to be insulated, then, yu might want to consider
using aluminum electric fence wire.  Sure, it's slightly higher resistance
than copper, but you can just lay more of it, and on a $ per mho basis, it's
MUCH cheaper than copper. (that is, to get a particular resistance, you'll
spend less on the aluminum than on the copper, since aluminum is a lot less
than 60% the price of copper).  You'd have to decide whether the increased
labor from laying the extra radials for aluminum is worth it.

I suppose that one could even use galvanized steel fence wire.  (putting
almost ANY wire (maybe even nichrome) in the ground will improve the
conductivity over the bare soil)  And that's real, real cheap.  ($20/mile or
something like that)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Pat Barthelow" <aa6eg at hotmail.com>
To: <K4PI at peoplepc.com>; <TOWERTALK at CONTESTING.COM>
Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2005 12:49 PM
Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] RADIAL WIRE


> Mike,
>
> Find/make friends with your local  telephone compony tech...
> Ask him for end pieces of multiconductor cable...
>
> 73, de Pat aa6eg at hotmail.com
>
>
> >From: "MIKE GREENWAY" <K4PI at peoplepc.com>
>
> >Anyone know of good sources for radial type wire?.  I am looking for
> >something in the 20 to 22 size and would prefer a sheath on it.   Need a
> >lot
> >of it so price is important.  73 Mike K4Pi