[TowerTalk] Coax Life Expectancy

[Jim W7RY]

Ultraviolet from the sun is what degrades PVC I believe... ?

And yes Steve, I have observed the same thing with PVC vs Polyethylene.

73, Jim W7RY


On 2/14/2023 6:25 PM, Steve Jones wrote:
> Art,
> I have gone to Davis Bury Flex for outdoor use.  The jacket is polyethylene
> instead of PVC.  I have lots of polyethylene water pipes that have stood up
> to 40 years of hot sun and cold freezes.  My rigid PVC water pipes all need
> to be inside a heated pump house or they get brittle and crack!
> 73,
> Steve
> N6SJ
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TowerTalk <towertalk-bounces at contesting.com> On Behalf Of Art
> Greenberg
> Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2023 12:50 PM
> To: TowerTalk at contesting.com
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Coax Life Expectancy
>
> I just had to take about 250 feet of "brand X" coax out of service because
> the outer jacket is cracking. Three runs up my 50 foot crank-up tower
> hanging from a support at the top, and three runs from the top of the tower
> through the rotor loop and up to the antennas on the mast. The cable had
> been in service for about 2-1/2 years here in north-central Florida (near
> Gainesville).
>
> The cracking occurred in places where the cable moved (the rotor loop) and
> where it did not (taped to the mast or boom). Where the coax was protected
> from the sun in a length of split loom, it didn't crack.
>
> In some places the braid was easily visible behind the cracking. I did
> observe water exit the cable when I applied pressure to the cable in a
> horizontal run.
>
> I have both "brand X" and "brand Y" cable running in underground conduit
> from my entrance panel to the base of the tower. Where the cables exit the
> conduit and make the short run to the tower, I can see the cracking in
> "brand X" but not in "brand Y". In fact, "brand Y" still looks new. I am
> putting off replacing the cables in the conduit. It will need to be done
> eventually.
>
> I'm relatively new to this location, having moved from New Jersey 12 years
> ago. This is my first experience with coax failing in this manner, and my
> first experience with "brand X." Is this to be expected in my location? Is
> "brand X" exhibiting expected service life?
>
> Note that "brand X" claims to be suitable for outdoor use.
>
> TIA.
>
> --
> Art Greenberg
> WA2LLN
> art at artg.tv
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-- 
Thanks and 73, Jim W7RY