On Dec 21, 11:51*am, JoanD'arcRoast wrote:
Friend of mine bought an old farmhouse in the country. A tenant 30
years ago worked for telco, and used to throw things away in the woods
behind the house. I now have approximately 700 feet of black outdoor
telco line. It looks like zipcord or 2-conductor appliance wire. It has
a *very* tough jacket; the copper hasn't oxidized *at all*. The longest
contiguous piece is 240', the second is 140'. 2 more are about 100'
each. 3 more smaller pieces. I just finished untangling it.

IIRC This is a Twin Pair of Copper 'Clad' Steel Wire
used as the Drop-Line from the Telephone Pole to the
House's Telephone Service Entrance.


I live in the 'burbs. Nine 100' Loblollies; Six 80' hardwoods. Back
property edge ends in a stream, eight feet down in a gully. Wind
recently brought down my horizontal loop and my TTFD, so in effect, I'm
(mentally) starting over.

What would you do? Unzip and solder the phone line for a 1000' Beverage
fastened with zip-ties to the shrubbery above the stream? (I doubt any
neighbors would even notice the wire.)

Are there any good antenna designs that take advantage of zipcord?

-j

PS: I'm going to repair my TTFD and hang it along the stream bank. That
should provide a good ground plane, neh?

On Dec 21, 4:07*pm, RHF wrote:
On Dec 21, 11:51*am, JoanD'arcRoast wrote:

Friend of mine bought an old farmhouse in the country. A tenant 30
years ago worked for telco, and used to throw things away in the woods
behind the house. I now have approximately 700 feet of black outdoor
telco line. It looks like zipcord or 2-conductor appliance wire. It has
a *very* tough jacket; the copper hasn't oxidized *at all*. The longest
contiguous piece is 240', the second is 140'. 2 more are about 100'
each. 3 more smaller pieces. I just finished untangling it.



- IIRC This is a Twin Pair of Copper 'Clad' Steel Wire
- used as the Drop-Line from the Telephone Pole to the
- House's Telephone Service Entrance.

Testing : Copper Clad Steel Wire -v- Solid Copper Wire

Strip-off and Inch or two of the Insulation and Test
the Inner two Wires with a Magnet.

If the Magnet Sticks - It is Copper Clad Steel Wire.

If the Magnet Does Not Stick - It is Solid Copper Wire.

~ RHF

In article
,
RHF wrote:

On Dec 21, 4:07*pm, RHF wrote:
On Dec 21, 11:51*am, JoanD'arcRoast wrote:

Friend of mine bought an old farmhouse in the country. A tenant 30
years ago worked for telco, and used to throw things away in the woods
behind the house. I now have approximately 700 feet of black outdoor
telco line. It looks like zipcord or 2-conductor appliance wire. It has
a *very* tough jacket; the copper hasn't oxidized *at all*. The longest
contiguous piece is 240', the second is 140'. 2 more are about 100'
each. 3 more smaller pieces. I just finished untangling it.



- IIRC This is a Twin Pair of Copper 'Clad' Steel Wire
- used as the Drop-Line from the Telephone Pole to the
- House's Telephone Service Entrance.

Testing : Copper Clad Steel Wire -v- Solid Copper Wire

Strip-off and Inch or two of the Insulation and Test
the Inner two Wires with a Magnet.

If the Magnet Sticks - It is Copper Clad Steel Wire.

If the Magnet Does Not Stick - It is Solid Copper Wire.

~ RHF
.


Yes, it's magnetic, which perhaps explains no verdigris on the
weathered cut ends. (Rust would look like copper to the casual
observer:-)) I guess the "upside" is that steel wire should hold up
thru a lot of ice storms...
-j




I live in the 'burbs. Nine 100' Loblollies; Six 80' hardwoods. Back
property edge ends in a stream, eight feet down in a gully. Wind
recently brought down my horizontal loop and my TTFD, so in effect, I'm
(mentally) starting over.

What would you do? Unzip and solder the phone line for a 1000' Beverage
fastened with zip-ties to the shrubbery above the stream? (I doubt any
neighbors would even notice the wire.)

Are there any good antenna designs that take advantage of zipcord?

-j

PS: I'm going to repair my TTFD and hang it along the stream bank. That
should provide a good ground plane, neh?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -