[TowerTalk] Fire hazard with inverted L ??

[Lee Bahr]

I don't know what power level you are thinking of running but I have 
seen a couple fires from full limit power.  The last was at W5MP. He was 
using his L-4B amplifier feeding commercial Ladder Line.  He had just 
put up a new antenna and draped the ladder line horizontal over some 
shrubs temporarily while checking it out.  He intended to put the ladder 
line on standoffs after the test.  What happened next was he started the 
shrubs on fire.  It almost caught hold on his house.  Commercial Ladder 
line DOES have insulation over the two parallel lines.  I'm sure you 
would have no problem running 100 watts or less, but with an amp, I 
would make sure the antenna does not touch tree limbs.  I've also seen 
where an antenna burned a 1/4 inch deep trench into an oak tree.  That 
ham was running 500 watts of AM.
Lee, w0vt

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