[TowerTalk] Coax Life Expectancy

[Lee Hiers]

I would be interested in what brand x and brand y really are - brand and
model.

73!

Lee, AA4GA

On Tue, Feb 14, 2023, 3:50 PM Art Greenberg <art at artg.tv> wrote:

> 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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