[TowerTalk] UV resistant wire ties

[Jim Thomson]

Date: Fri, 30 May 2014 11:43:20 -0400
From: "Ray, W4BYG" <w4byg at att.net>
To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] UV resistant wire ties

I've had good service life (professionally), out of black ties made by
Panduit, or Thomas and Betts.  

Anything not made with carbon black will basically disintegrate outside in a
year or so.  Most of the cheapie "imports" are very questionable.

At the risk of starting another antidotal thread: white schedule 40 PVC pipe
outside suffers from the same problem.  Only because it is thicker, does it
usually last a little longer.  But it to will eventually dry out, get
brittle and disintegrate.

Ray, W4BYG 

##  I believe the telcos  use  T+B  black ones for all outside use..but it may be
another brand.   I would contact your local telco folks and ask them....or snag
one of the outside guys if you see their splice trucks and ladder trucks on the 
side of a road. 

##  Instead  of white PVC... you could use the grey PVC...available in mist home depot
stores.   Its  usually in the electrical dept.  Comes in  10-12 foot lengths...and is flared
at one end..so you can join em nose to tail.  That stuff is  UV resistant.   F12 uses the smaller
sizes  to insulate the els  from the booms.    F12 also used the super thin white pvc on 
my 20m yagi..which is still holding up just fine.   My 15m yagi used the thick grey pvc . 

Jim   VE7RF