[Antennas] Open Wire Feedline

Sat Jan 26 19:41:53 EST 2013

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <n8de at thepoint.net>
>I think using BLACK spacers is a big mistake, as the chemical used to 
> make the pen bodies BLACK is somewhat CONDUCTIVE ... and might break 
> down under high power applications.
>> I prefer to use the plastic tubes that machine tool companies discard 
> from drill bits. They are about 5 to 6 inches in length, somewhat 
> transparent, and FREE, if you ask for them.

 One source of 2" long nylon plastic tubes free for the asking would be,
if you have a hospital nearby, they may use a lot of recorder paper on
their telemetry units. Each spool has a couple hundred feet of temperature-
sensitive paper for printing out alarms. And a busy unit may use up to
a dozen rolls a day. We throw away a trashcan full once a month, we
can't recycle them into anything. And they are nylon, not PTFE. :-)
 Ray, KB0STN