TO: ALL WOOD COUNTY ARES MEMBERS (OFFICIAL)
ALL ARES AND NON-ARES AMATEURS ANYWHERE (INFORMATION)
FROM: KEN HARRIS WA8LLM ARRL DISTRICT 3
EMERGENCY COORDINATOR WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INC.
WOOD COUNTY ARES BULLETIN NR 19.03 DATE: January 20, 2019
SUBJECT: HOW TO PROTECT YOUR COAX
In a previous bulletin it was described how to put together 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 and trucks running over it.
Another use for the plastic pipe is for any splices when you are using more than one piece of transmission line. The plastic pipe will protect the splices from the weather.
Ken Harris WA8LLM
WCEC
Wood County WV