TO: ALL ARES OPERATORS IN DISTRICT 3 (OFFICIAL)
ALL AMATEURS IN WEST VIRGINIA (INFORMATION)
FROM: WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED AND WOOD
COUNTY AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICES (ARES)
ARES DISTRICT 3 BULLETIN NR 08.37 DATE: September 14, 2008
SUBJECT: HOW TO PROTECT YOUR COAX
Last week's bulletin was how to fix your extra pieces of coax cable into extension cords for temporary use. When operating or demonstrating your Amateur Radio, or other radio equipment, in an unsecured area, do you have problems protecting your coaxial transmission line? If you're in a public location where you have no way of hanging your transmission line out of the reach of passing people or cars, wouldn't it be nice to have a way to protect it. A little trick I learned many years ago is to run the transmission line through a piece of heavy duty plastic pipe. Just make sure the inside area of the pipe is large enough to let the coax connecters pass through. The best thing to use is either Schedule 40, or higher grade, plastic water pipe, or electrical conduit, whichever is the cheapest and most available. If you have to use more than one piece of pipe, be sure that you use couplings to connect the pipes together. Now you don't have to worry about people getting caught on the transmission line, or having cars run over it.
(Reprint, with modification, of Wood County ARES Bulletin NR 05.16)
Ken Harris WA8LLM
Wood County WV
ARES Assistant Section Coordinator WV
ARES District Emergency Coordinator WV District 3