Owen Duffy wrote:
On Sat, 23 Sep 2006 15:23:07 -0400, Mike Coslo
wrote:


John, N9JG wrote:

The author used a wetting agent.

"Cecil Moore" wrote in message
.com...


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.

So is the lesson that Ladder line sucks, or is it that we shouldn't
wash our ladder line with soap and water? 8^)


Some suggest coating the ladder line with various forms of waxes, eg
silicon car polish for various reasons, including minimising the
change to the line characteristics with precipitation.

Hi Owen.

I doubt that those would help much, as PE has some pretty impressive
characteristics. I suspect that waxes and such will just degrade
performance.

And I can just imagine the look my XYL would give me if I told her I
was going to go wax my line! ;^)



I don't know if there is reliable evidence as to the efficacy of these
measures, and what compounds are to be preferred. I see it discussed
on eham, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is bunk!

I don't know that it is fair to say that "Ladder line sucks", but it
is well known that it is adversely affected by moisture. Ladder line
is not so good wet or dry as to disregard its losses in all situations
(ie in general).

I wonder what the exact mechanism is? PE has some decent water
absorption characteristics, 24 hour tests show almost no absorption for
low density, and none for the high density and up versions.


Like everything, it has its limitations, and with knowledge we can use
it effectively within those limitations.

I daresay you are right.

- 73 de Mike KB3EIA -