Cable Damage

Recently (but well before Freesat!) we had an abortive attempt to get a
Freeview aerial. The installer used cable marked WEBRO WF100 CAI G009E
08-07 +03PM from a new cable reel.

When we got them to remove it (two muxes randomly accessible, mast
fouling gutters, etc.), they left some of the cable. I have just had a
proper look and took some apart for interest.

The outer sheath seems to be quite tough white PVC.
Then a copper braid.
Copper wrap.
Foamed plastic.
Solid core.

Certainly looks to be quite decent.

But - although this particular bit of cable had only been taken off the
reel, pushed through a hole, draped round a room and plugged into a
Freeview box and a few days later cut off - it was showing two signs of
damage. First - the copper wrap was crinkled all the way along with some
of the inner foam core visible through some cracks. Second - the foam
around the core had cracks in it all along - between about 2mm and 1cm
apart - and seeming to go right through to the copper core. These did
vary somewhat and there were some much longer undamaged sections. Quite
possible that these might have been worse on one side than the other. My
guess is that most of the damage actually occurred when pulling it
through the wall.

It has certainly made me aware of quite how easy it is to damage coax. I
shall be much more careful in future whenever I touch any. But is it
normal to cause such obvious damage so quickly?

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

Rod wrote:
Recently (but well before Freesat!) we had an abortive attempt to get a
Freeview aerial. The installer used cable marked WEBRO WF100 CAI G009E
08-07 +03PM from a new cable reel.

When we got them to remove it (two muxes randomly accessible, mast
fouling gutters, etc.), they left some of the cable. I have just had a
proper look and took some apart for interest.

The outer sheath seems to be quite tough white PVC.
Then a copper braid.
Copper wrap.
Foamed plastic.
Solid core.

Certainly looks to be quite decent.

But - although this particular bit of cable had only been taken off the
reel, pushed through a hole, draped round a room and plugged into a
Freeview box and a few days later cut off - it was showing two signs of
damage. First - the copper wrap was crinkled all the way along with some
of the inner foam core visible through some cracks. Second - the foam
around the core had cracks in it all along - between about 2mm and 1cm
apart - and seeming to go right through to the copper core. These did
vary somewhat and there were some much longer undamaged sections. Quite
possible that these might have been worse on one side than the other. My
guess is that most of the damage actually occurred when pulling it
through the wall.

It has certainly made me aware of quite how easy it is to damage coax. I
shall be much more careful in future whenever I touch any. But is it
normal to cause such obvious damage so quickly?


I've had the same problem with certain batches of WF100. More
importantly the Dielectric being brittle. The suspect cable was stiffer
than normal, and in the cold, was more liking to bull wire than coax for
how stiff it was.

Using Triax TX100 and am happy with it.

Glenn...

I've certainly not come across cable that cracks its inner insulation so
readily. Maybe its a faulty or counterfeit batch.

Of course bend radii are important, as are the way a cable is allowed to
bend if on a rotator, especially as the plastic ages.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email:
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________


"Rod" wrote in message
...
Recently (but well before Freesat!) we had an abortive attempt to get a
Freeview aerial. The installer used cable marked WEBRO WF100 CAI G009E
08-07 +03PM from a new cable reel.

When we got them to remove it (two muxes randomly accessible, mast fouling
gutters, etc.), they left some of the cable. I have just had a proper look
and took some apart for interest.

The outer sheath seems to be quite tough white PVC.
Then a copper braid.
Copper wrap.
Foamed plastic.
Solid core.

Certainly looks to be quite decent.

But - although this particular bit of cable had only been taken off the
reel, pushed through a hole, draped round a room and plugged into a
Freeview box and a few days later cut off - it was showing two signs of
damage. First - the copper wrap was crinkled all the way along with some
of the inner foam core visible through some cracks. Second - the foam
around the core had cracks in it all along - between about 2mm and 1cm
apart - and seeming to go right through to the copper core. These did vary
somewhat and there were some much longer undamaged sections. Quite
possible that these might have been worse on one side than the other. My
guess is that most of the damage actually occurred when pulling it through
the wall.

It has certainly made me aware of quite how easy it is to damage coax. I
shall be much more careful in future whenever I touch any. But is it
normal to cause such obvious damage so quickly?

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

Brian Gaff wrote:
I've certainly not come across cable that cracks its inner insulation so
readily. Maybe its a faulty or counterfeit batch.

Of course bend radii are important, as are the way a cable is allowed to
bend if on a rotator, especially as the plastic ages.


Have my doubts that any counterfeit would contain so much copper -
especially nowadays. Did wonder if it had been slightly too
hot/cold/humid/something else when it was made and this caused the
foam to be too inflexible.

It's possible that the bend radius limit was exceeded when the fitter
pulled it through the hole-through-the-wall. In fact, that is my guess.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org