> What would you do? Replace the outdoor stuff? Use shack stuff? Use the
> un-used roll? Throw it all away and start fresh?
I would measure it, which is easy to do accurately with a dummy load, radio,
and a movable power meter.
I have 20-30 year old cables that are well within new cable loss specs. The
primary cause of excessive cable loss is tarnish on a woven braid. Usually
if the braid is not tarnished, it is good. Contrary to myth, it is NOT the
closed cell foam soaking up water, or the dielectric. The overwhelming part
of HF cable loss is in the copper, and usually in a woven conductor that
tarnishes. Way up at VHF or UHF, the dielectric starts to dissipate power.
Foam cables can have less loss at HF, but that is because the center
conductor can be thicker, not because of less loss in the foam. :-)
73 Tom
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
|