[HCARC] COAX Support On A Crank Up Tower

[Dale Gaudier]

Gary:

I use method #1. My coax is tied off to the uppermost standoff (I use
electricians tape and electrical ties) and hangs freely through the lower
standoffs until just before it reaches the base of my tower. I have a total
of three runs of coax (2 for the Force 12 Delta 6BA and one for the
160-80-40m "fan" dipole) and a run of rotor cable all similarly routed
through the standoffs and tied off every two feet with electricians tape and
electrical ties.

I use a "flexible" run of coax from the top of the tower to the base. The
center conductor is stranded to give it more flexibility than regular
solid-center conductor coax. The main reason I use the flexible coax on the
tower is because the section from the antenna to the 1st standoff at the top
of the tower gets flexed a lot every time I rotate the antenna.

Unless you plan to run your crank up tower up and down a lot, the issue of
wear and tear on the coax should be minor. 

73,

Dale - K4DG



-----Original Message-----
From: hcarc-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:hcarc-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of Gary and Arlene Johnson
Sent: Saturday, May 04, 2013 11:03 AM
To: hcarc at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [HCARC] COAX Support On A Crank Up Tower

On Tower Talk they have been discussing ways to support the excess Coax
Cable when the tower is cranked down.  The problem is that the coax takes a
sharp bend over the stand offs when the tower is cranked down and this sharp
bend degrades the coax at the bend point.  There have been several solutions
of which here are three:

1.  Let the coax slide freely through the stand offs so that it coils on the
ground when the tower is retracted.  Problem then is the Coax is being
supported only from the top most attachment point.

2.  Use some special stand offs that have a 1/3 circle support where the
Coax is attached to so when the coax folds over the standoff the sharpness
of the fold is held open.

3.  Take a three foot section of old garden hose and run your Coax through
it for each stand off support position the garden hose so that half of it is
on each side of the stand off.  The garden hose keeps the Coax from bending
too tightly and solves the problem.

So far #3 sounds the best is the cheapest.

Gary J
N5BAA
HCARC Secretary 2013

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