Cecil Moore wrote:

Roy Lewallen wrote:

My measurements, posted on this newsgroup some time ago and also
published in QST's Technical Correspondence even longer ago, were for
300 ohm TV twinlead. The line was not lying on a wooden deck, nor did
the measurements involve detergent of any kind.


Who was it who published loss data based on laying the ladder-line
on a wooden deck and/or squirting a wetting agent on it? Did you
use a wetting agent?

The N7WS experiment was accomplished by coating the line with a wetting
agent.

The wire was suspended horizontally, 12 feet of it.

The author notes that it was "difficult to maintain uniform wetness"
during the time it took to run the experiment. This would mean that he
likely pooled water on the line.

And finally, I performed a little experiment. I have the ladder line
from that antenna that was up for 2 years. Application of some water
showed that it would bead up very nicely.

I just don't think the test conditions are very realistic. But it does
tell me not to wash my ladder line with soap and water! ;^)

- Mike KB3EIA -