I have just strung a dipole of length of about 110 feet between a tree and
my house chimney. The primary use of the antenna will be 80 and 40 meters,
with occasional use on the bands between 40 and 10 meters. My junk box
contains a reel of open wire feeder (#16 solid copper wires with 1 inch
white plastic spacers spaced about every 5 inches), which would run from my
Johnson KW Matchbox to the dipole's center insulator.

I have never used this type of feed line before, and in fact I believe its
intended use was as a low-loss feed for TV. I am wondering if I could
eliminate a fair amount of aggravation for myself by using a newer
poly-coated window-type ladder line with #14 stranded copper-clad conductors
for the feeder. Can this type of feeder handle high power? For skimpy specs
on the ladder-line feed see
http://tinyurl.com/ouzye

On Fri, 22 Sep 2006 01:08:08 GMT, "John, N9JG"
wrote:

I have just strung a dipole of length of about 110 feet between a tree and
my house chimney. The primary use of the antenna will be 80 and 40 meters,
with occasional use on the bands between 40 and 10 meters. My junk box
contains a reel of open wire feeder (#16 solid copper wires with 1 inch
white plastic spacers spaced about every 5 inches), which would run from my
Johnson KW Matchbox to the dipole's center insulator.

I have never used this type of feed line before, and in fact I believe its
intended use was as a low-loss feed for TV. I am wondering if I could
eliminate a fair amount of aggravation for myself by using a newer
poly-coated window-type ladder line with #14 stranded copper-clad conductors
for the feeder. Can this type of feeder handle high power? For skimpy specs
on the ladder-line feed see
http://tinyurl.com/ouzye

Go with the junk box stuff. It will have lower losses - especially
when it is wet. A much better choice.

Danny, K6MHE

Concure. Plus it will have a MUCH lower wind resistance. My window type
feeders with copperweld wire break about once a year due to wind
whipping. Good choice!

Paul, KD7HB

Danny Richardson wrote:
On Fri, 22 Sep 2006 01:08:08 GMT, "John, N9JG"
wrote:

I have just strung a dipole of length of about 110 feet between a tree and
my house chimney. The primary use of the antenna will be 80 and 40 meters,
with occasional use on the bands between 40 and 10 meters. My junk box
contains a reel of open wire feeder (#16 solid copper wires with 1 inch
white plastic spacers spaced about every 5 inches), which would run from my
Johnson KW Matchbox to the dipole's center insulator.

I have never used this type of feed line before, and in fact I believe its
intended use was as a low-loss feed for TV. I am wondering if I could
eliminate a fair amount of aggravation for myself by using a newer
poly-coated window-type ladder line with #14 stranded copper-clad conductors
for the feeder. Can this type of feeder handle high power? For skimpy specs
on the ladder-line feed see
http://tinyurl.com/ouzye

Go with the junk box stuff. It will have lower losses - especially
when it is wet. A much better choice.

Danny, K6MHE

I certainly appreciate the comments and advice from you and the other
respondents.
-- John, N9JG

"Edmund H. Ramm" wrote in message
...
In "John, N9JG"
writes:

[...]
My junk box contains a reel of open wire feeder (#16 solid copper
wires with 1 inch white plastic spacers

Zo abt 450 Ohms.

spaced about every 5 inches), which would run from my Johnson KW
Matchbox to the dipole's center insulator.

[...]
I am wondering if I could eliminate a fair amount of aggravation for
myself by using a newer poly-coated window-type ladder line with #14
stranded copper-clad conductors for the feeder.

You'd be in for problems. The windowed (not so)open-wire line is
almost as susceptible to humidity and dirt as twinlead. If you want
to buy open-wire line, get W7FG's 600 Ohms "real ladder line".

If you use the feedline from your junkbox, make sure it doesn't
swing in the wind. Solid copper wire will fatigue (and break) much
sooner than the stranded variety.

Can this type of feeder handle high power?
[...]

More power than RG-213 et.al., even more so when unmatched.

73, Eddi ._._.
--
e-mail: dk3uz AT darc DOT de | AMPRNET:
If replying to a Usenet article, please use above e-mail address.
Linux/m68k, the best U**x ever to hit an Atari!

On Fri, 22 Sep 2006 22:46:22 GMT, "John, N9JG"
wrote:

I certainly appreciate the comments and advice from you and the other
respondents.
-- John, N9JG

John,

I think you will benefit from this.

http://k6mhe.com/n7ws/Ladder_Line.pdf

Danny, K6MHE

An excellent article. It appears to indicate that at 7 MHz a feed line made
from 100' of Wireman 554 window line would have a loss of about 2 db when
the line is wet. When the line is dry, the loss is insignificant.

"Danny Richardson" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 22 Sep 2006 22:46:22 GMT, "John, N9JG"
wrote:

I certainly appreciate the comments and advice from you and the other
respondents.
-- John, N9JG

John,

I think you will benefit from this.

http://k6mhe.com/n7ws/Ladder_Line.pdf

Danny, K6MHE

John, N9JG wrote:
An excellent article. It appears to indicate that at 7 MHz a feed line made
from 100' of Wireman 554 window line would have a loss of about 2 db when
the line is wet. When the line is dry, the loss is insignificant.

I've often wondered how someone "wets" a vertical feedline
without using soap.
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com

On Sat, 23 Sep 2006 01:50:54 GMT, Cecil Moore
wrote:

I've often wondered how someone "wets" a vertical feedline
without using soap.

Cecil,

Just drop by my qth anytime between November and May.

Danny, K6MHE

On Sat, 23 Sep 2006 00:48:43 GMT, "John, N9JG"
wrote:

An excellent article. It appears to indicate that at 7 MHz a feed line made
from 100' of Wireman 554 window line would have a loss of about 2 db when
the line is wet. When the line is dry, the loss is insignificant.

Is that the matched line loss you are talking about.

These lines aren't always or even often operated at very low VSWR, so
it may be unwise to dismiss the loss as insignificant in the general
sense.

Owen
--

Danny Richardson wrote:
Just drop by my qth anytime between November and May.

How do you keep the water on the feedline? Mine
always beads up and falls to the ground.
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com