[TowerTalk] Grey PVC Loading Coil

[Dan Zimmerman N3OX]

In the spirit of "some antenna is better than no antenna at all," I'm
going to add a base loading coil to for 160m to my 40 foot vertical
(http://www.n3ox.net/projects/lowbandvert).

I know it's a substantial compromise over other forms of loading, but
I'm willing to accept the efficiency penalty for convenience in this
particular case.  What I want to know about is whether or not grey PVC
electrical conduit is suitable for coil forms at 1.8MHz.  I searched
the archives and found a discussion on PVC formers for HF and that
they're not unacceptable unless you're running many close-spaced
turns, but I wonder if people have tried grey vs. white and what
they've found.  I know the microwave trick is routinely used but I
don't think absorption at 2.4GHz says much about the MF properties of
the material.

I've got access to some 5" conduit and a lathe; a few minutes and I
can have a beautiful coil form like the 80m one on the page above, but
I wonder if the grey PVC is lossier than the white stuff?

There are plenty of other approaches, but if grey PVC is decent at
1.8MHz, I'm just going to cut a nice  groove in it and go.  It's going
to be something like 20-30 turns of #10 wire and having a grooved form
makes for a quick and solid coil.

73,
Dan