[TowerTalk] 80M antenna wire size

[Jim Brown]

Teflon insulated wire, especially the silver-coated stranded copper I've 
found on the internet to wind chokes, is VERY nice stuff. And it's 
expensive.

Sometimes it can be quite worthwhile to make antennas less visible, and 
reduced weight can be an advantage in some situations, but those are the 
only good reason I can think for doing that way. There are times I've 
suggested enameled wire for low visibility. As noted, insulation will 
lower the resonance slightly, and although larger conductor diameters 
can increase SWR bandwidth, that's hardly a critical factor, it's likely 
to be too little to notice for the relatively small change from #14 to #20.

73, Jim K9YC

On 1/2/2020 5:54 PM, Tony Brock-Fisher via TowerTalk wrote:
> My question - if I replaced the solid #14 wire with black Teflon coated #20
> stranded tinned copper wire am I giving up anything in performance? I would
> think the Teflon wire would hold up okay?
> 
> Note that using insulated wire instead of bare wire will add some 
> capacitive loading, and the elements will resonate at a lower frequency 
> for the same length.
> 
> I built a triband quad using teflon insulated #18 silver plated stranded 
> copper wire. It did come out lower in frequency. Other than that it has 
> held up fairly well.
> 
> -Tony, K1KP
> 
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