If you have a Tractor Supply store near you, the price for 1/4 mile of 17 ga. galvanized electric fence wire is $14.99. You can get 1/2 mile roll for $29.99. Just how long it will last will vary depending on your soil. However, at that price it is worth a try.
73, Ken - K4XL On Wed, Sep 5, 2018 at 1:10 PM, Herbert Schoenbohm < herbert.schoenb...@gmail.com> wrote: > 1/4 mile for $30 is reasonable and would work well for radials. > https://www.ebay.com/itm/Acorn-International-EFW1714-1- > 4-Mile-17-Gauge-Galvanized-Fence-Wire/152465194663?epid=4017419194&hash= > item237fa23ea7:g:xOMAAOSw4A5YwFca > > Herb, KV4FZ > > On Wed, Sep 5, 2018 at 2:00 PM Herbert Schoenbohm < > herbert.schoenb...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > For a cheap solution for radials is to use buried galvanized barbed wire. > > It is available for pennies a foot. A preferred way of putting it in is > to > > use a is a Ditch Witch with a vibrating plow attachment that allows the > > wire to buried with limited handling. Depending on the soil consistency > it > > will be long-lasting. My sons with metal detectors have unearthed > barbed > > wire that was of a style used 50 years ago by local farmers. In Puerto > Rico > > AM stations have lost entire copper fields by poachers who sent it off to > > Rep Dom by containers to be sent by the pound. They have used the > > galvanized fence wire successfully. > > > > Herb, KV4FZ > > > > On Wed, Sep 5, 2018 at 1:13 PM JC <n...@n4is.com> wrote: > > > >> Hi Guys > >> > >> Stay away from aluminum, the aluminum oxide dielectric is a terrible > >> complication around 2 MHz, it become a capacitor and a diode and will > >> generate a lot of noise in presence RF currents. > >> > >> There is no way to avoid the diodes at the connection with different > >> materials, like at the ground plate. When these electrical junctions are > >> very well they will work well for few months, than the noise will start > >> around Sunset when the RF field from AM BC are more intense, the RF > will be > >> there, even if you are far from BC station, the propagation peak is near > >> Sunset. > >> > >> Galvanic corrosion and diode formation is inevitable. Same problem is > >> very common on rotor, mast and tower contacts originating birds on 1810, > >> 1820 and every 10 KHz, most of this signals are originate on your own > >> tower. Just grounding the with a solid contact with the tower can kill a > >> lot of noise. > >> > >> I've seen several situation of aluminum joints becoming a strong noise > >> source. The same joints are not a problem on 80 or 40m, the issue is > just > >> around 2 MHz > >> > >> Save yourself a lot of problems, aluminum an 160m antennas are not a > good > >> combination. > >> > >> 73's > >> JC > >> N4IS > >> > >> > >> _________________ > >> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband > >> > > > _________________ > Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband > -- Ken - K4XL BoatAnchor Manual Archive BAMA - http://bama.edebris.com _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband