[TowerTalk] guage of wire for 500 watt antenna?

[N1BUG]

Physical strength is probably the main factor. I successfully ran 
1500 watts into an inverted V made of a single conductor from of 
WD-1A field wire. I believe it is slightly larger than 20 AWG. It 
has four tinned copper strands and three steel strands for strength, 
along with some *very* tough insulation. I've had no problems with 
this. I used this wire because it is strong and relatively light 
weight. It was an inverted V at the top of a 25 foot fixed aluminum 
mast sticking out of a 75 foot tower. I needed relatively small, 
light wire as big stuff would have broken or bent the mast. In the 
past I have run similar power into inverted V antennas using all 
copper wire of similar or smaller size, but wire breaking in storms 
was a problem.

Paul N1BUG


On 12/02/2017 05:00 PM, Gary Slagel via TowerTalk wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm hoping to get to Belize to work ARRL DX CW contest this year and I'd like to take my Elecraft KPA500/KAT500 and operate 500 watts. I will be at a friends house and not next to the ocean so I'm thinking of getting a doublet up in the air as far as I can on a fiberglass pole, feeding with 450 ohm ribbon and tuning it on 10 thru 40 and maybe 80M.
> The fiberglass pole won't take too much weight so I'd like to go as small as I can on the wire.   Any suggestions or input?
> Thanks, Gary KT0A