I just noticed that these old ceramic tubes fit nicely into 1/2"
UV/PVC electrical conduit. I can make this PVC any length I want
through the wall and then also fix a ceramic tube into it at
both ends for double insulation. That ought to do it.


Bill K6TAJ

zeno wrote:

Thinking about getting through walls with ladder line:

1. Would it be better to have the wires proceed continuously
to the tuner, without having to make connections at feed
through insulators? My understanding, generally, is that the
fewer connections the better. This means feeding the ladder
line, without break, through the wall(s), something which I
can do easily here, but I want to anticipate any arcing etc.
and the inevitable moisture in the air during rainy season
etc.

2. How should I be conceptualizing the type of RF energy in
these lines? I assume that these wires will carry something
more like "high voltage" than the usual type of electrical
energy in domestic AC lines. How far away should these ladder
line wires actually be away from everything as they go
through the wall?

3. Fishing through a bucket of old ceramic tube insulators
out in the barn I notice most are 3" long, but there are
also ones 4", 6", and even 8" long. Seems like using a long
one would keep the bare wire of the ladder line insulated
pretty well away from the walls which are just wood in this
case. Might look odd, having an 8" tube going through a 4"
wall, but it would keep the wire of the feed line many more
inches away from the wood.

4. Is the issue RF in the ladder line wire arcing to nearby
conductivity (eg. moisture on wood)? other than that there
is no conductive (metal) material in the vacinity, just wood.
I am trying to understand how to be thinking of this RF and
how best to insulate going through the wall. Mostly I will
run barefoot but might eventually have a 1 KW with a 30L-1.

Bill K6TAJ