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Re: [TowerTalk] hardline bending radius

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] hardline bending radius
From: Jim Brown <jim@audiosystemsgroup.com>
Reply-to: jim@audiosystemsgroup.com
Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2012 10:02:13 -0800
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
On 11/17/2012 8:20 AM, K1TTT wrote:
The 1/2" stuff I have used could be bent pretty tight, I wouldn't go much
less than 1' radius though without proper tools.

And not all hard line is created equally in this (and many) regard(s). Some mechanical constructions are more flexible than others. My guideline is not a hard number, but rather to observe what it seems to "want" to do, and not exceed that. ALL of my heliax is used, pulled off of commercial installations, and I can see little bumps and grinds in the TDR if I go to 500 MHz with it, but attenuation measurements are within spec up to 100 MHz. Since my maximum frequency of interest is 50 MHz and I'm only running 1.5kW into cable rated for 20 times that,. I'm not losing any sleep over those minor imperfections.

Bending radius and handling is FAR more critical with cables that have an Al jacket and center conductor, like CATV hard line. It's painfully easy to put a nasty kink in 1/2-in CATV hard line, and I've got several lengths of junk cable to prove it. :)

73, Jim K9YC
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