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Re: Topband: cheap radial wire?

To: <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: cheap radial wire?
From: "James Wolf" <jbwolf@comcast.net>
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2021 12:18:29 -0500
List-post: <mailto:topband@contesting.com>
I would add to the conversation that you must know what type of insulation is 
on the wire.  I picked up about 5000 ft. of 20 ga. wire at a hamfest and I used 
it to put down about 70 radials on my shunt fed tower.  I also used it for a 
dog fence.  About four years later, the dog fence wire started failing.  The 
insulation had gotten hard and would crack.  Once it cracked, I assume that the 
moisture in the ground along with the soil acidity dissolved the wire.   I 
don't know what the insulation was, but I had to completely re-do both the dog 
fence and the radial field.  I went with Teflon insulation 30 years ago and 
have not had a failure.
I've not heard of dog fence wire insulation failing, so there must be 
insulation on it that will endure the conditions in the ground.  

Jim - KR9U

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