[TowerTalk] rotator cable source [and other control cables]

[Pete Smith]

It is always worth remembering that, most likely, only the motor lines require large conductors.  Control cables, including the position indicating pots, relay boxes, and the like may be able to get by with very small conductors.  My tower is 250 feet from the shack, and I do quite comfortably with CAT3 network cable to control TopTen relay boxes.  I did the math, and the voltage drop over that distance is only a couple of tenths of a volt, particularly since I parallel the two blue wires to supply the 13 volts.

I also use garden-variety DIN plugs/jacks in my shack entry bulkhead for control cables, ever since I found out that their individual contacts are each rated at 1 amp at ~100 volts.  The ham standard Jones plugs have always been a pain for me, with flaky connections common, and are FAR more beef than is needed for this application.

73, Pete N4ZR