[TowerTalk] LMR600 male DIN

[Jim Thomson]

Date: Wed, 7 Sep 2016 20:24:03 -0400
From: "Roger (K8RI) on TT" <K8RI-on-TowerTalk at tm.net>
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] LMR600 male DIN

I've said it many times, I used to feel like you toward connectors, 
until a direct lightning strike to the top of my tower removed all of 
the weatherproofing and 15 minutes later I had water running out of my 
rig onto the desk top. It didn't hurt the rig, but it ruined the desk 
top.  40 years total at 3 locations with nary a problem, but one strike 
ruined 200 feet of 9913, IIRC 8 connectors, and a desk top

If you are on HF, Unless it is a long line, or you consider the legal 
limit as QRP, as far as I can see, there is little to be gained from 
using these expensive cables
I found 1/2" Heliax too fragile for kinking, or being stepped on. I gave 
away two 100' runs with connectors. and went to LMR600. Now if I could 
have found 7/8ths Heliax at a reasonable price, I would have used it for 
VHF and UHF.  The only time I saw a good price was a pick up load for 
the repeater that was free free, but none as an individual.

Total length from my rigs to the top of the tower was 200 feet with 
rotator loops and 28' pigtails to the antennas

73

Roger (K8RI)

## RFS  1/2 inch heliax  is $1.48  ft  from davis RF. 
LMR-600  from davis is  $1.69 ft
RFS  7/8 inch heliax  is  $2.89  ft
LMR-600UF  is   $2.81  ft 

The above is all from davis rf website.   You are probably correct though,  for
runs of say 200 ft in total, or less,  LMR-600DB  + UHF  male connectors is 
plenty good enough  for most applications. 

If folks are going to use  7/8 inch heliax, dont mess with type N  or  UHF...use only
7-16 din.   Andrew doesnt make  uhf  for  7/8 heliax,  but others do.  

Jim  VE7RF