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| How many years life for outside antenna and cable? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Friday, 30. October 2015, 20:26 (735 Views) | |
| Jape | Friday, 30. October 2015, 20:26 Post #1 |
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26 Charlie Tango 1894
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Any idea how long the out door life would be- in terms of years - of a half wave antenna and RG 2i3 cable? Mine has been up for around 20 years It's a white glass fibre thing - can't remember the make. The cable run is around a 100 feet as it is on top of a 50 foot conker tree. I have an SWR issue and bad ears at the moment. Thanks James |
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| Nubster | Friday, 30. October 2015, 20:34 Post #2 |
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26 Charlie Tango 050
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I was told once that normally coax only last about 5 to 10 year al depends on the quality of it TBH as for antennas I had a Sirio GPA 5/8 wave up for about 20 year until a kamikaze pigeon crashed in the top section one day and bent it and put a crack in it but until that happened it was working OK |
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Life is too short, so ave a laugh now n then never know you might like it | |
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| High Voltage | Saturday, 31. October 2015, 07:13 Post #3 |
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108 Charlie Tango 054
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I would do a quick test for shorts etc in your coax while disconnected. But realitiscally I'd be inclined to replace it after that amount of time anyway as it will probably have collected some water over the years and worn or cracked. Once that is sorted maybe the aerial will give you a few years yet with a bit of luck. |
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[marq=left]Sorry sir, I've rolled the Land Rover over, over.........[/marq] | |
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| Nik Gnashers | Saturday, 31. October 2015, 07:17 Post #4 |
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26 Charlie Tango 573
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I'd be willing to bet that the antenna may be full of water, or the SO-239 connection (where the feedline coax connects) is tarnished/corroded. I doubt the coax will be in great shape, as already been suggested. Go on .... treat yourself to an xmas prezzy ... nice shiney new antenna and coax
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M6GFT ::: QRZ Page- http://www.qrz.com/db/M6GFT [imgw=150]http://i.imgur.com/RJjZCOw.jpg[/imgw] All CT members are expected to use good operating procedure, good manners, and be friendly...Please do not chat on any calling frequencies, or use bad language on air, thank you it is appreciated. | |
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| Andydx103 | Saturday, 31. October 2015, 07:26 Post #5 |
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I change my rg213 coax every 8-10yrs so approx 3 times in the time ive been on radio and when opened up the coax had started to show signs of patina corrosion.I change my antennas as i get bored well before they show signs of problems. |
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| Monster | Saturday, 31. October 2015, 07:39 Post #6 |
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26 Charlie Tango 636
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I've had the outer casing of mil-spec RG58 that's been on my south facing roof go brittle and crack after about 8 - 10 years, and that hasn't been swaying around up a tree, so I rekon your co-ax is probably past it's best! Whilst still ok electrically, I noticed my Thunderpole 5, that's been up 5 years is starting to turn into a furry white stick, the fiberglass is starting to weather. |
| They say hard work never killed anyone..........but why take the chance? | |
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| Deleted User | Saturday, 31. October 2015, 14:24 Post #7 |
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I would go with the theory of,it stops working it needs changing.................... How long is a bit of string................... |
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| Mudslinger | Saturday, 31. October 2015, 14:42 Post #8 |
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The trouble is they deteriorate slowly and you might not notice any decrease in performance. Until you change the antenna/coax then you find your new antenna is miles better than the old one. |
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| Jape | Saturday, 31. October 2015, 14:47 Post #9 |
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26 Charlie Tango 1894
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Hi Guys thanks for replies and suggestions. It was this antenna that got me back active again - not been on air for around 15 years. Following a malfunction with a lawn mower last week - the RG 213 got chopped in half at the bottom of the tree where the cable goes underground for about 15 feet. So I decided to repair the cable etc. I have inserted a 213 patch in the cable. The above ground screening is a bit tarnished and I wire brushed that - center core is fine. The underground screening looks in poor shape and wouldn't clean up too well - but I would expect to hear something - but I'm getting nothing. Radio seem to TX but not a lot of volume SWR is way high Obviously with an aerial on top of a tree you can't get at it. So, I'm not sure if the antenna has deteriorated/corroded or it's just a cable issue. My mobile set up received some chan 19 - but the tree radio picked up nothing. Of course it could be both cable and antenna. Going to do some more testing... |
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| Jape | Sunday, 1. November 2015, 23:02 Post #10 |
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26 Charlie Tango 1894
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Update: The half wave seems to be shot - but maybe the cable ids okay,,m but swapping the antenna atop the tree is not an immediate option Couldn't pick up anything yesterday with the mobile - but today all the usual stuff from Italy. Spain and South America was coming in Don't think the mobile - now is getting out much tho' Manage a channel 19 exchange with someone about 8 miles away # All this was after having to open the rig and resolder a loose wire to the centre of PL 259 socket. So, this old mag-mount with thin cable - is now connected to my tarnished underground 213 and mounted on a metal garden wheelbarrow I will now get a new rod and cable this week if posible. Thanks for all the suggestions above. If anyone know how to mount a wheelbarrow on a house roof... |
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| Northern Crusader | Thursday, 5. November 2015, 15:32 Post #11 |
26 Charlie Tango 1760
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A mate of mine and I went to an old long since unused radio tower and cleaned it up. It had last been used over 20 years ago and god knows how long the antennas had been up there before that. We got hundreds of feet of RG213 and when stripping it back it looked like new inside. That was about 4 years ago and we're both still using that coax now. Proper decent stuff with connectors put on properly and waterproofed correctly from the start should last donkeys years. Sadly the majority put up whether CB, amateur or some commercial tends not to have that done. |
| 26CT1760 / M0GVZ | |
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| Jape | Thursday, 5. November 2015, 17:00 Post #12 |
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26 Charlie Tango 1894
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Thanks Conor. I have been waiting 3 days for the tree guy to turn up to get the antenna down so I can inspect it. I can see it is covered in dirt and green stuff Part of the cable is under the lawn and I have connected a magmount to it for now. Ii receives okay but only tested getting out once as a rig test got about 10 miles. As soon as it is down will know where to start - but will probably go for new stuff as up the tree is a service hassle. |
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| Northern Crusader | Friday, 6. November 2015, 14:56 Post #13 |
26 Charlie Tango 1760
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I would put new up just for that reason. Its expensive but I can highly recommend Ecoflex 10. Its a solid insulator with a 100% copper foil shield actually glued to it over the full length so it won't suffer the foil "walking" when you bend it and for the purposes of RF, water getting into the coax shouldn't be as problematic as water shouldn't get between the inner surface of the foil and the insulator. Its also easier to work with and bends easier than RG213. The inner and outer insulation is more of a silicone type of insulation so cuts and flexes easier. Edited by Northern Crusader, Friday, 6. November 2015, 14:57.
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| 26CT1760 / M0GVZ | |
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| Nubster | Friday, 6. November 2015, 15:23 Post #14 |
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26 Charlie Tango 050
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Agree with Crusader if your gonna go to all that trouble of getting up a tree to put a antenna up and the one you have has been up for years and the coax has been about for years you may as well go and buy complete new all round false economy doing one without the other |
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Life is too short, so ave a laugh now n then never know you might like it | |
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| Bean | Friday, 6. November 2015, 19:58 Post #15 |
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Hi James, I would be intrested to know what make/model the antenna is when you get it down, still have a soft spot for my Shakespear big stick 3 and thats over 20years old (with original instructions and tube) but it spent most of that packed away LOL Kevin |
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CT261685@aol.com TOTALLY PORTABLE "Speech is civilization itself. The word, even the most contradictory word, preserves contact. It is silence which isolates." Thomas Mann (1875-1955) | |
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| Jape | Friday, 6. November 2015, 20:53 Post #16 |
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26 Charlie Tango 1894
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The tree guys turned up today and got the Antron 99 down without doing any damage. It was in a bit of state after 20 odd years up there. The whole rod was covered in green slime and dirt - but the cable just looked like cable as new. The tree trunk had grown over the cable in about 5 places - so knuckles on the tree had to be cut off to release it. There was a couple of places where the tree had gone through the rubber casing an started breaking the coax screening The tree trunk stuff had also grown over part of the rod in one place One place where the tree had grown over the 213 cable - had badly pinched the cable and bent it The brackets holding the pole to the bottom of the antenna had rusted through in places - despite being covered with plastic for protection I wash the rod with some soapy water after taking the pole off and still no reception - so I took the cable off - and connect the rod to the other half of the cable that goes underground. Propped the antenna up against a wheelbarrow and connected to rig - available signals started coming in Then needed to check if it was still working on TX - so connected it to a legal cb - and was able t6o lay some good numbers on a station about 30 odd miles away.So the antenna still works well while standing on the lawn - but needs new cable. I will use this for the legal cb 40 set and get new set up for the other rig I also tested the rod on via usb on the other rig and got out and received ok. I will use this until I get the new one with new cable back up the tree So the main issue was the tree damaging the cable by growing over it So my equipment is still working apart fron some damaged cable and a rusty owner. )) My full stop key is naff |
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