On Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:25:53 -0900, You wrote:

In article
,
VK4FDGM Daryl wrote:

Hi ,
I was wandering what type of Coax I should Use on VHF&UHF .
Bye
Daryl

Look at Beldon 9913 for long runs... has Good Spec's and cheaper than
Heliax or HardLine.... We call it PoorMan's Heliax....

I avoid 9913 like the plague since lightning hit the system, blew off
all the water proofing, and within 15 minutes I had water running out
of the 2-meter rig. I was using it on all bands. At that point I took
it all out and gave away all but about 200 feet out of over 1500 feet.
The 200 feet finally went into the dumpster.

I used to take the stance that if it was properly water proofed it was
fine, at least until that lightning strike. I now use mostly LMR-600
and some LMR-400 with Davis BuryFlex for the flexible runs.

As for Heliax and Hardline, they are probably the cheapest as there is
a lot of it floating around. I had two 100 foot runs of 1/2" Heliax
with connectors given to me along with nearly a full 1000 ft roll of
3/4" hard line.

Check the local swaps and you may find 1/2" or 7/8" Heliax or even
larger. Check with the local two way outfits as they may have systems
they pull out. I picked up a whole pick up truck full of 7/8" Heliax
and half a dozen connectors that way. I think the whole thing ran less
than $100.

But I still have to repeat, I'd not install brand new 9913 if it were
given to me. 9913F OTOH...:-))

73

Roger (K8RI)

In article ,
Roger wrote:

On Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:25:53 -0900, You wrote:

In article
,
VK4FDGM Daryl wrote:

Hi ,
I was wandering what type of Coax I should Use on VHF&UHF .
Bye
Daryl

Look at Beldon 9913 for long runs... has Good Spec's and cheaper than
Heliax or HardLine.... We call it PoorMan's Heliax....

I avoid 9913 like the plague since lightning hit the system, blew off
all the water proofing, and within 15 minutes I had water running out
of the 2-meter rig. I was using it on all bands. At that point I took
it all out and gave away all but about 200 feet out of over 1500 feet.
The 200 feet finally went into the dumpster.

I used to take the stance that if it was properly water proofed it was
fine, at least until that lightning strike. I now use mostly LMR-600
and some LMR-400 with Davis BuryFlex for the flexible runs.

As for Heliax and Hardline, they are probably the cheapest as there is
a lot of it floating around. I had two 100 foot runs of 1/2" Heliax
with connectors given to me along with nearly a full 1000 ft roll of
3/4" hard line.

Check the local swaps and you may find 1/2" or 7/8" Heliax or even
larger. Check with the local two way outfits as they may have systems
they pull out. I picked up a whole pick up truck full of 7/8" Heliax
and half a dozen connectors that way. I think the whole thing ran less
than $100.

But I still have to repeat, I'd not install brand new 9913 if it were
given to me. 9913F OTOH...:-))

73

Roger (K8RI)

That is fine for you, who live in Lightning prone areas, but for the
rest of the world, and for "Me" who lives where lightning is, "a Once or
twice in a Lifetime occurrence", you concern is not really a problem.

You wrote:
In article ,
Roger wrote:


On Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:25:53 -0900, You wrote:


In article
,
VK4FDGM Daryl wrote:


Hi ,
I was wandering what type of Coax I should Use on VHF&UHF .
Bye
Daryl

Look at Beldon 9913 for long runs... has Good Spec's and cheaper than
Heliax or HardLine.... We call it PoorMan's Heliax....

I avoid 9913 like the plague since lightning hit the system, blew off
all the water proofing, and within 15 minutes I had water running out
of the 2-meter rig. I was using it on all bands. At that point I took
it all out and gave away all but about 200 feet out of over 1500 feet.
The 200 feet finally went into the dumpster.

I used to take the stance that if it was properly water proofed it was
fine, at least until that lightning strike. I now use mostly LMR-600
and some LMR-400 with Davis BuryFlex for the flexible runs.

As for Heliax and Hardline, they are probably the cheapest as there is
a lot of it floating around. I had two 100 foot runs of 1/2" Heliax
with connectors given to me along with nearly a full 1000 ft roll of
3/4" hard line.

Check the local swaps and you may find 1/2" or 7/8" Heliax or even
larger. Check with the local two way outfits as they may have systems
they pull out. I picked up a whole pick up truck full of 7/8" Heliax
and half a dozen connectors that way. I think the whole thing ran less
than $100.

But I still have to repeat, I'd not install brand new 9913 if it were
given to me. 9913F OTOH...:-))

73

Roger (K8RI)


That is fine for you, who live in Lightning prone areas, but for the
rest of the world, and for "Me" who lives where lightning is, "a Once or
twice in a Lifetime occurrence", you concern is not really a problem.

Air insulated coax is subject to water incursion. If you want to use
these cables you need
to pressurize the cable to keep water out. Even RG8 can get water
between the outer jacket
and the insulation. I was given a roll of 9913 and I gave it away as I
wouldn't use it.

Bill K7NOM

"You" wrote in message
...
But I still have to repeat, I'd not install brand new 9913 if it were
given to me. 9913F OTOH...:-))

73

Roger (K8RI)

That is fine for you, who live in Lightning prone areas, but for the
rest of the world, and for "Me" who lives where lightning is, "a Once or
twice in a Lifetime occurrence", you concern is not really a problem.

It is not the lightning problem with 9913. It is no better or worse for
that. The problem with 9913 is the center is hollow and if water ever gets
into the coax it will fill up like a water pipe. The 9913F has a dialectric
that is not hollow and water can not collect inside it.

I had some 9913 up not long after it came out and after about 10 years took
it down when I moved. I just cut into it and no water came out of it. I
went back up on a new tower with 4 runs of the Davis burry flex. The loss
at VHF is not that more than the 9913 and I will not use the LMR series as
the center is copper plated aluminum. I just do not like that even if there
is nothing wrong with it.

You wrote:
In ,
wrote:

On Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:25:53 -0900, wrote:

In article
,
VK4FDGM wrote:

Hi ,
I was wandering what type of Coax I should Use on VHF&UHF .
Bye
Daryl

Look at Beldon 9913 for long runs... has Good Spec's and cheaper than
Heliax or HardLine.... We call it PoorMan's Heliax....

I avoid 9913 like the plague since lightning hit the system, blew off
all the water proofing, and within 15 minutes I had water running out
of the 2-meter rig. I was using it on all bands. At that point I took
it all out and gave away all but about 200 feet out of over 1500 feet.
The 200 feet finally went into the dumpster.

I used to take the stance that if it was properly water proofed it was
fine, at least until that lightning strike. I now use mostly LMR-600
and some LMR-400 with Davis BuryFlex for the flexible runs.

As for Heliax and Hardline, they are probably the cheapest as there is
a lot of it floating around. I had two 100 foot runs of 1/2" Heliax
with connectors given to me along with nearly a full 1000 ft roll of
3/4" hard line.

Check the local swaps and you may find 1/2" or 7/8" Heliax or even
larger. Check with the local two way outfits as they may have systems
they pull out. I picked up a whole pick up truck full of 7/8" Heliax
and half a dozen connectors that way. I think the whole thing ran less
than $100.

But I still have to repeat, I'd not install brand new 9913 if it were
given to me. 9913F OTOH...:-))

73

Roger (K8RI)

That is fine for you, who live in Lightning prone areas, but for the
rest of the world, and for "Me" who lives where lightning is, "a Once or
twice in a Lifetime occurrence", you concern is not really a problem.

I use the stuff indoors and out. I prefer BuryFlex to 9913.