[TowerTalk] UV and WX deterioration of THHN insulation, and effects

john at kk9a.com john at kk9a.com
Wed Dec 28 08:27:49 EST 2016


Bare copper oxidizes. Visibly it appears worse than wire covered with PVC.
 Have you compared these measured THHN surface losses with bare wire that
has been outdoors the same length of time?

John KK9A


Subject:	Re: [TowerTalk] UV and WX deterioration of THHN insulation,	and
effects
From:	Guy Olinger <k2av at contesting.com>
Reply-to:	k2av.guy at gmail.com
Date:	Wed, 28 Dec 2016 01:28:41 -0500

Current betting money in my neck of the woods is on some actual
deterioration of the surface of the copper caused by compounds in the
degrading insulation. Skin effect forces some degree of current into
the degraded copper which has a higher resistance than the non
deteriorated good stuff in the middle of the wire.

What is not in question is the higher effective resistance of the
conductor + whatever the insulation has turned into at RF after
degradation. That has simply been measured.

73, Guy K2AV



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