[TowerTalk] Attaching "flex" cable to crank-up standoffs

[K8RI]

On 5/14/2013 3:44 PM, Dick Green WC1M wrote:
> When I installed my 72' rotating tubular motorized crankup back in 1997, I
> used LMR400UF. Big mistake. IMHO, that stuff is so stiff it shouldn't be
> called "flexible". There were a number of issues with dressing the coax on
> the tower that were due to total lack of instructions from U.S. Tower, but
> the long and short of it is that the LMR400UF was so stiff that a big loop
> of it "crept" around the tower while it was being lowered and got caught in
> the motor mounting brackets. Next time I raised the tower, the coax snagged
> on the brackets just before the tower reached full up. The tower proceeded
> to lurch violently back and forth in a sickening manner in the second or so
> before I realized what was happening and hit the power switch (I was in the
> shack at the time, 265' away, watching through a window.) I ran to the tower
> and found, much to my relief, that the plastic balun housing on the TH-7 had
> exploded, which freed the SO-239 and the coax before the raising cables
> snapped or the pulleys or the motor were destroyed.

Are you sure you had  LMR-400UF?  I have never seen a more flexible RG8 
size cable
>
> I reconfigured the standoffs and bought an extra one to put below the motor
> so the coax couldn't possible get snagged again. I also put a hardware cloth
> cage around the base to keep the coax away from the rotor. Most important, I
> replaced the LMR400UF with RG-213. I have had no snags since. I'm completely
> confident in raising and lowering the tower remotely without seeing it.
>
> Some years later, I ran some flexibility tests between Buryflex, LMR400UF,
> Belden 9913 and RG-213. It was no surprise that the 9913 was too stiff for
> the crankup or rotor loops, nor was it a surprise that the LMR400UF came in
> a distant 3rd. What did surprise me was that the Buryflex was almost as
> flexible as the RG-213, and the jacket was much more slippery -- perfect for
> gliding through the coax standoffs on the crankup (I don't attach the coax
> to the standoffs because it results in all sorts of twisting and snagging.)
> Anyway, I replaced the RG-213 with Buryflex and it has performed perfectly
> ever since. I can't recall how long it's been, but I'm sure it's at least 10
> years. Maybe more like 15.
>
> Incidentally, I used LMR400UF for a number of runs on the ground, like the
> feedline to my 40m 4-square. That was problematic, too, because it seems
> that the critters on my property love to munch on the jacket material. I had
> to replace that particular 100' run, and several others, countless times.
> Then I replaced the runs with Buryflex and haven't had a critter problem
> since.

What you are describing (except for the critters munching on the jacket) 
as it's a rubbery like material and does not slide well is quite 
different than my experiences

I have lots of LMR400, 400UF, 600 and 600UF, all Times wire, true LMR 
cables.  I also use a lot of BuryFlex(TM) and have for some years 
because of its durability, flexibility, and tough/smooth jacket. I used 
to use the original 9913 until lightening blew all the weather proofing 
off and water wrecked a VHF rig. I was one of those users who believed 
if you did a good job of weather proofing it'd be great.  I had never 
thought of lightning removing the weather proofing. So I swore off 
Belden at that time even though they make good cables other than the 
original 9913.

However I've found no cable that size as flexible as the UF versions of 
Times Wire LMR coax. Even side by side with BuryFlex it is more 
flexible.  However that Rubbery jacket does not slide well and tends to 
"grab" on things it's supposed to be sliding through, over, or by.

I never had any problems with the flexibility, just the jacket.
 From all of it I've gone through, I have trouble imagining it to be stiff.


73

Roger (K8RI)



>
> YMMV
>
> 73, Dick WC1M
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Marv Shelton [mailto:marvs at att.net]
>> Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 8:10 AM
>> To: K8RI
>> Cc: towertalk at contesting.com
>> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Attaching "flex" cable to crank-up standoffs
>>
>> So, what do you think is best? RG-213???
>> I think getting 5 years out of low loss coax is acceptable. I can help
>> force at least that interval of mainten ance on one's amtennas.
>>
>>
>> Best 73's
>> de Marv WA2BFW/7
>> (from my iPad)
>>>
>>> LMR 400 is not recommended for repeated bending. It has a Copper
>> plated solid Aluminum center conductor.   OTOH LMR-400UF is very
>> flexible but does not normally stand up well to out door use. The jacket
>> is a rubber like material that is easily abraded, catches on most any
>> thing and has a short advertised life of 10 years.  Best I've gotten out
>> of using it in normal situations has been around 6 years.  It works very
>> well, but not for long.
>>>
>>> 73
>>>
>>> Roger (K8RI)
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>> 73's from Marv
>>>> wa2bfw at att.net
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>
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