[TowerTalk] running cables up the tower

[Keith Dutson]

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of K8RI on TowerTalk
Sent: Friday, September 01, 2006 2:03 PM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] running cables up the tower
[snip]
>>  Are cable ties the best way to attach the  cables?
>
>
>    Could be. Some guys like to use 6" pieces of wire  to tie the 
> bundle together; they're easy to take apart when you want to add or  
> subtract a cable.
>

Properly applied ties and wire will work fine, but I do not like cable ties
as they can easily be over tightened to the point of distorting the coax.
OTOH they should work fine if they are wide and one is installed about every
two or at most, 3 feet. In the case of wire it doesn't have to be tight as
it can be wrapped so tension will only pull it tighter, but like cable ties
it's small and there needs to be lots of them to prevent the weight of the
cables causing the wire to over tighten.  I've seen cables nearly flattened
by cable ties and some very deep grooves from using wire as a support.
---------------------

Good coax (not that foam RG8 stuff) and all Andrew Heliax I have used do not
distort under cable ties.

---------------------
[snip]
> to a brace and it'll support the whole  weight. Using a hose clamp or two 
> is
> another way to secure it. Then black tie  wraps will finish it off. Do not

> use
> white tie wraps - they're not UV  resistant and will fall apart in a year 
> or
> two.

It depends on the formulation in the ties.  I've never seen white, or clear 
ties hold up and I've used some large (wide) black ones that I could snap 
with two fingers after the ties had beed on the tower just over a year.  I 
was going to move/relocate a portion of the coax. When I started to release 
the fastener it broke with just finger pressure.  It was a good thing I had 
them about every two feet.  So, don't depend on "black" being UV resistant. 
Check the package to make sure they are UV resistant. If it doesn't say so 
they probably aren't.  Good, large ties are *Expensive*
---------------------

I found the same with aged cable ties, even ones that are sold as UV
resistant.  I still prefer to use them though as they are easy to carry up
the tower and install.  I just wrap with tape to protect against UV.

73, Keith NM5G