On 02/14/2011 10:56 AM, bpnjensen wrote:
On Feb 14, 10:15 am, m wrote:
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On 11-02-14 10:19 AM, Joe from Kokomo wrote:



On 02/14/2011 06:51 AM, dave wrote:
On 02/13/2011 08:26 PM, RHF wrote:

-but- I still use Antenna Insulators between the 'Poly'

Why?

On 2/14/2011 10:34 AM, dave wrote:

If you use insulating rope there is no need to buy insulators.

Well, that could be debatable. Do you have any way to quantify the RF
leakage of wet rope vs. a wet insulator to support your contention?

Rainwater doesn't conduct very well. Also, the voltages are very low.
Power lines will arc over insulators, but that's usually caused by filth
accumulating over the insulator knob and the fact that it's a few
thousand volts.

mike

I would guess that, for RX, unless the rainwater also allows a
complete passage to ground for the signal, water on the antenna and
rope is going to do little more than extend the resonant frequency of
the antenna to a longer wavelength. If you're a monitor station for a
major broadcaster, that may be a problem. For a SWL, maybe not so
much.

I've never noticed any electric effects from rain on my polyester lines;
nor on the old school clothesline I used to use (plastic over nylon?)
This would include ropes touching active elements directly on a stub
tuned vertical, in the rain, while observing reflected power. Simply not
an issue AFAIK.