[Elecraft] OT: Open wire feeder cautions

[Ken G Kopp]

I pass my ladder line through the shack wall with two large cone
insulators that use 1/4" brass rods about 12" total length passing
through the wall.

At one point I saw erratic SWR readings on the tuner's SWR
meter.  Several days of chasing the problem determined that
one or both of the rods was arcing to the tinfoil backing on the
insulation inside the wall.

Enlarging the through-the-wall holes and inserting small-diameter
CPVC pipe over the rods fixed the problem.  The pipes extend a
bit beyond the wall on both sides and into the inside of the ceramic
cones.

Rose has a scar on her arm from when she was painting an outside
wall years ago while I was on the air with a KW. (:-((

73!

Ken Kopp - K0PP
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: N5GE <Lists at n5ge.com>
Date: Thu, Nov 15, 2012 at 8:00 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] More KAT500
To: "hawley, charles j jr" <c-hawley at illinois.edu>
Cc: "elecraft at mailman.qth.net" <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>

I hope you have the ladder-line supported by fire-proof (ceramic)
insulators in the attic.

Letting ladder-line touch anything combustible can start a fire.

Amateur Radio Operator N5GE
ARRL Lifetime Member
QCWA Lifetime Member