Here's the full Rate Sheet item, with URLs:
"Here are a couple articles about running networking cable outdoors:
http://tinyurl.com/2zdfw9 and http://tinyurl.com/a3tou thanks to
Roger Fulton.
"
73, Pete
At 09:37 AM 11/14/2007, George Gorsline VE3YV wrote:
>Let me add to Pete's comments. I use 2 CAT5 cables in parallel for the
>rotor cabling and use thicknet Ethernet cable (Belden 89880 orange jacket,
>triple shield, 50 ohm) for feedline, with a short piece of RG-213 for the
>rotor loop. The cable specs are reasonable and price is usually right -
>free. If it's used - pulled to put in fibre - there may be vampire tap
>breaks in the jacket to work around. UV resistance is unknown as the
>orange fades (not a bad thing - ugly and obvious), but have yet to see
>signs of water ingress from jacket deterioration, other than from
>improperly sealed coax connectors. I do replace cables - Ethernet or
>RG-XXX - every 5-7 years whether they need it or not given the amount of
>acid rain we get. Also I throw the analyzer on the feedlines to see if
>things "look different" an ohm meter on the rotor lines before an annual
>inspection to determine how much work may be needed. Of course, YKMV
>(metric version)
>
>Pete - can you post the URLs?
>--
>
>73, George VE3YV / K8HI
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
>Message: 10
>Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2007 07:31:28 -0500
>From: Pete Smith <n4zr@contesting.com>
>Subject: [TowerTalk] network cable outdoors
>To: towertalk@contesting.com
>Message-ID: <6.2.0.14.2.20071114071948.09cf4420@mail.comcast.net>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>
>I just saw an item in the ARRL Contest Rate Sheet recommending a couple of
>URLs on this subject. Both say that ordinary indoor network cable will
>deteriorate quickly outdoors.
>
>That's probably true for fast data, but I have been using both 4-conductor
>indoor telephone cable and 8-conductor indoor CAT3 networking cable for
>connections between my shack and my tower some 200 feet away for the last
>7-8 years. I control two TopTen 6-way relay boxes, an array of A/B
>selectors, and a homebrew 80m array switchbox through these cables. I had
>to boost the shack-end voltage to about 14 volts to get reliable relay
>switching at the tower end, but in terms of reliability I'm quite
>satisfied. The cables are simply laid on the ground in brushy woods, and
>the only reliability problems I have had result from squirrels or chipmunks
>chewing on the cables - and that has only happened once. Of course, the
>cables fairly quickly become covered with leaves and grass, which no doubt
>helps with UV, but so long as the outer jacket remains intact, no problem.
>
>Strangely enough, 14-3 UF-B "Romex", which I use for rotator power, has
>been far more of a problem. One of my rotator cables has developed some
>leakage between the motor and indicator lines, causing some indicator
>errors when motor power is on. Looking at the jacket, there has been some
>fairly serious deterioration from UV. With the current price of copper,
>buying 1000 feet of 14-3 fills me with terror, but I may be approaching
>that time.
>
>I just thought others might find this information useful.
>
>73, Pete N4ZR
>The World HF Contest Station Database
>Full details on 3300 contest stations
>Updated 5/5/07 http://www.pvrc.org/WCSD/WCSDsearch.htm
>
>
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