[TowerTalk] newest bestest radial material ever!

[K1TTT]

I just found the newest bestest radial material I have ever used!  And over
the years I have used a lot of them.  It ain't cheap, but at this point in
the 80m 4-square project that doesn't much matter any more.  

It is Alloy 1100 Aluminum Wire .125" Diameter(just under 8ga), 12-lb Coil,
792' Coil, McMaster-Carr part number 8866k15.  They sell it for $150 and its
enough for 12 radials for 80m.  it comes with a tag from www.malinco.com,
they don't seem to have an on-line order system so probably only deal in big
quantities.

If you want something a bit cheaper they have 2016' coils of .080 (about
12ga) for $146.

This stuff comes in a coil, which kind of worried me a bit until I cut off
the tie wraps and it just sat there... no spring to it at all.  It is easy
to cut with small wire cutters, and easy to hand wrap around bolts and
itself to make eyes.  It can also be uncoiled and doesn't get kinked, you
don't have to roll it out like Copperweld or other stiffer wires.  I found
it easiest to just stick the coil over one arm and uncoil it as I walked
from vertical to vertical to connect them up.  

Btw, even with just the radials connected around the square this new
4-square is MUCH better than the old hanging around a tower.  I can take an
s9+ ve3 and make them disappear off the back.

David Robbins K1TTT
e-mail: mailto:k1ttt at arrl.net
web: http://www.k1ttt.net
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