[Elecraft] OT Wet 450 ohm ladder line

[Vic K2VCO]

Geoffrey Mackenzie-Kennedy wrote:
> Sorry for an off-topic question. Does anyone have any information about the 
> dry vs wet characteristics of "450 ohm" ladder line? I have never used this 
> type of line, but I might have to use it for "mechanical" reasons to feed 
> another antenna now being built. I am told that its characteristics change 
> when wet from rain, but which characteristics change and by how much at HF. 
> A remote ATU to compensate is not to be used with this particular antenna / 
> feeder.

I don't have the quantitative data that Geoff wants, but my experience was that when 
feeding a 40-meter dipole with the stuff, the tuning changed significantly when it rained. 
I don't know what actually accounts for this. Some people have suggested that waxing the 
line reduces the effect.
-- 
73,
Vic, K2VCO
Fresno CA
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco