[TowerTalk] Crappy LMR600

[Roger (K8RI) on TT]

Coax in water? My back yard!  Normally, from the spring thaw until early 
to mid summer (varies) the water table is at, or just below the surface 
so the BuryFlex to the AV640 is laying in water for 3 to 4 months ea 
year. (Makes spring mowing a real PITA).  By Mid August the water table 
is 5' down. This year I went to BuryFlex.   None of the runs are long 
enough to justify the larger coax for HF.  75' rig to tower, 100' to 
pigtails at the top of the tower. The array used 28' pigtails including 
rotator loops. Now it's just short links.  Regular LMR600 works fine 160 
- 10.

The only maintenance requiring trips up the tower was the 9913, broken 
antennas due to Cormorants roosting on the antennas, and water getting 
into the rotator bearings.

The only lightning damage was pre LMR cables (with one exception). 
Belden 9913 was like a water hose after a direct hit removed all the 
weatherproofing and silver plating from the connectors. It matters not 
what you use for coax. Nothing gives 100% protection from direct 
strikes. The installation here has taken 17 visually verified direct 
strikes (according to neighbors) with no damage.

The exception was my fault for taking a short cut because the 144/440 
antenna was side mounted at 50'.  I only had the jacket grounded at the 
junction box at the base of the tower.  A nearby strike took out the PS 
fuse to the 144/440 rig.

This area is WET! Basements here require weep tile and a sump. My sump 
pump failed early this summer and within 12 hours we had a foot of water 
in the basement. Cost 5 grand, took a week to get it cleaned up and 
dried out (About half the basement is finished and carpeted.)  This past 
winter there was enough snow cover that there was at most, one inch of 
frost. Much of the time there was none. Both conditions leave the coax 
in water. Most of the hams around here don't even bother with conduit, 
DB, or even BuryFlex. They just stick plain old RG-8 of all types in the 
ground and I've heard no complaints.

73, Roger (K8RI)

On 8/25/2017 Friday 7:59 AM, Clay Autery wrote:
> "That's why they make vanilla and chocolate."  -- Pearl Autery
>
> I'll pay the extra $10 per 100 feet for -DB.  Not just talking about
> buried cable.  Also, see my earlier/related comments on subterranean
> conduit. Apparently, you've never run a sub-t cable run in a place where
> the water table is inches below the surface.
>
> Peace of mind is not overkill.  Neither is avoided trips up towers,
> re-trenching, re-pulling, etc. <smile>
>
> ______________________
> Clay Autery, KY5G
> MONTAC Enterprises
> (318) 518-1389
>
> On 8/25/2017 1:18 AM, Roger (K8RI) on TT wrote:
>> Yes, overkill.  If your installation has water problems, then by all
>> means use the DB versions, but I've not heard of many who do.  With
>> LMR 400 and 600, I have never had water ingress and no maintenance
>> issues..  The only coax that has required maintenance was The UF
>> versions of the LMR cables and Belden 9913 that works like a hose. I
>> never had problems with pre 9913 Belden cables.
>> My yard doesn't have problems with stones in the dirt, so I use
>> buryflex which has a tough jacket but no gel fill. Otherwise I'd use
>> DB cables if I had stones in the dirt.  Main cables from rigs to
>> towers here are run in conduit.
>>
>> Wet cable? Again, The only cables I've had a problem with were 9913
>> and the UF versions of the LMR cables. I've had some of those cables
>> in use for over 20 years.
>>
>> 73, Roger (K8RI)
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-- 

73

Roger (K8RI)


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