T2FD: keeping the spreaders in place
 

On my T2FD I used 1/2" electrical plastic pipe for spreaders.

The wire is rather thick: 4 mm^2 conductor section, stranded,
PVC-insulated.

At the moment, spreaders are tied in place with copper telephone
twisted pair.

I am planning to fill the pipes with urethane foam to keep water - and
especially the bugs - out of them.

Urethane should also bond well with the PVC insulation on wires,
allowing me to remove the ugly twisted pair, but I am not sure.

How do you suggest to keep the spreaders in place?

tnx es 73 de n1jpr/i2
http://filippo.ru.ru

"SpamHog" wrote in message
m...
On my T2FD I used 1/2" electrical plastic pipe for spreaders.

The wire is rather thick: 4 mm^2 conductor section, stranded,
PVC-insulated.

At the moment, spreaders are tied in place with copper telephone
twisted pair.

I am planning to fill the pipes with urethane foam to keep water - and
especially the bugs - out of them.

Urethane should also bond well with the PVC insulation on wires,
allowing me to remove the ugly twisted pair, but I am not sure.

How do you suggest to keep the spreaders in place?

tnx es 73 de n1jpr/i2

In the open line I bought, slits are cut in the ends of the plastic tubing.
The wire used is insulated and slightly greater diameter than the slits.
Thus friction holds the wire in place.
Ed, N5EI

http://filippo.ru.ru

"SpamHog" wrote in message
m...
On my T2FD I used 1/2" electrical plastic pipe for spreaders.

The wire is rather thick: 4 mm^2 conductor section, stranded,
PVC-insulated.

At the moment, spreaders are tied in place with copper telephone
twisted pair.

I am planning to fill the pipes with urethane foam to keep water - and
especially the bugs - out of them.

Urethane should also bond well with the PVC insulation on wires,
allowing me to remove the ugly twisted pair, but I am not sure.

How do you suggest to keep the spreaders in place?

tnx es 73 de n1jpr/i2
http://filippo.ru.ru

It depends on the "orientation" you desire the parallel wires.
If you wish for them to be vertically aligned, then a small weight (e.g.,
lead fishing weight)
at one end of the spreader helps to keeps the wires aligned.

w9gb

Thank you!

My antenna is already build and strung up to stretch before I lock
everything in place. The holes on the pipes are slightly too large to
provide reliable friction.

I also got email advice (thank you Kees!) to use tie wraps around the
wire but _inside_ the pipes. I'll use a couple of rounds of copper
telephone twisted pair for that. Twisted pair is an interesting
material.

I am testing polyurethane foam with the electrical pipes I used, which
are made of some unknown polymer.

If the foam bonds OK, I will inject it, then stick a ball of crumpled
alufoil into each end of a pipe, and perhaps dab on another bit of UV
resistant glue to block the foil balls in place.

Shoe Goo or Plumbers GOOP (RUBBER in a tube cures oernight)

Strong and weather resistant- UV resistant vars : MARINE GOOP

yodar


SpamHog wrote:
On my T2FD I used 1/2" electrical plastic pipe for spreaders.

The wire is rather thick: 4 mm^2 conductor section, stranded,
PVC-insulated.

How do you suggest to keep the spreaders in place?

tnx es 73 de n1jpr/i2
http://filippo.ru.ru