Hello Rob,
In a message dated 03-09-98, Rob Dennis said to Holger Granholm:
 HG> What's so special about your winters?
RD> Nothing much other than they seem to be more windy and freezing
RD>rain prone than they have been in the past.
Well, we get real winters here too. This winter has been an exception
as far as the snow goes with barely (6 inches) enough snow to ski on
but the temperature has been down to the normal -15 centigrades.
RD> With several major industries to the south of us ( northern US )
RD>most rain and snowfall is mildly acidic in nature in my area so
RD>antennas do tend to `die' rather early if they are made out of
RD>fibre-glass or bare copper wire.
Maybe we don't have as much acid downpour as you but we aren't free
from it either.  We've got a few of the previous USSR republics close
to us and they haven't yet been able to afford proper cleaning of their
factory smoke.
RD> My aluminum antennas are over 6 years old and survive nicley with a
RD>little normal cleaning every two or three years.
The trick is to choose metals which have their electromotoric forces
(polarities) close to each other and if that's not possible, protect
all joints between dissimilar materials with anti-corrosion paste.
RD> Stranded wire for me is easier to obtain and cheaper as well by the
RD>foot or metre than solid cunductor wire.
For my W0WO antenna I'm using copper clad insulated telephone line
which originally consisted of two paralell insulated conductors but
was easily split (like electrical appliance cord) into two single
wires.
RD> Most any electrical supply house has solid wire but charge twice
RD>the cost of stranded wire so I choose stranded over solid to save
RD>some money.
Well, most scrap yards should have scrapped telephone line.
The problem with stranded wire is the acidious water that creeps in
between all strands and corrode all those thin wires.
RD> What type of paint do you use on your antenna?
RD> Is it a commonly available brand name or mixture?
I don't use any paint. I also avoid using those white or opaque
cable ties. They don't stand up to sunshine more than a couple of
years.  However, the black ones are OK.
73 de Sam, OH0NC
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