[TowerTalk] Coax Life Expectancy

[Jim W7RY]

MEEE too.

It's not bashing a product. Its actual fact... If it is as you say. Not 
much chance of water freezing inside of the jacket at your location?

73, Jim W7RY


On 2/14/2023 7:29 PM, Lee Hiers wrote:
> 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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-- 
Thanks and 73, Jim W7RY