Horse Tape for feedline?

[K3ZS]

I usually don't read too much of the stuff on qrz.com, but they have a topic on using fence wire for antennas.   One of the links was for "horse tape".    It is two stainless steel conductors for running both polarities on a electric horse fence.   I was hoping to see more replies on using this stuff for feedlines and multiband dipoles.     Check it out at
http://horseguardfence.com/.     It must have a good dielectric to not arc over with a fencer.

[W3RSW]

I don't know about the tape but that moving frames 'menu' on the site's left was fascinating.

Maybe the stuff would work if the interweaving is a reasonable rf insulator.  Looks like a lot of it though and probably would wick n' hold water like crazy in wet weather.

[K3ZS]

The insulator looks like the webbing on some outdoor chairs.    If it wicks I would think it would short out the HV that the fencer applies between the wire.   I found out that my copper clad steel window line was rusting badly.  Since this is stainless steel I thought it could be more durable.   You never know what someone makes for one purpose could be useful for something they never thought of.

[Tom WA3KLR]

I'm told that horses don't have good eyesight and that this is the reason for the bands now being used on the horse fences.   Other animals, such as cattle, can see a single electric wire. 

R.f resistance?  Well, steel wire has higher resistance than copper wire of course.  The skin effect is even more pronounced on a conductor with a permeability higher than 1; this is the case with iron or steel wire.  Stainless steel is not very magnetic as I recall, so maybe the permeability is down near 1, so perhaps not a factor with 300 - 400 Ohm lines.  Just something to consider.

[Mike/W8BAC]

It is an interesting product and the possible use for feed line might have some merit but I'm thinking that even if the fiber doesn't wick up water, the water or ice it will hold will be the spoiler.

300 ohm wide spaced twin lead looks to be spaced about the same. It would be easy to measure at least but many people using 300 ohm complain often about swr fluctuation's with rain, snow and ice conditions. The 300 ohm feed lines are fully jacketed so I suspect the proximity of water and ice is causing the swr change.

If this stuff holds water droplets, as I suspect it will, it might only be useful as feed line in drier climates. Regardless of velocity factor and dielectric, at HF the wire is fine business with a tuner. Remember the electric fence isn't always hot. A jolt is discharged every 10 seconds or so and a water induced short might be just an occasional shortcoming. A horse living in that corral will only be jolted once or twice before it learns to stay away.

My take on it.

Mike

[KF1Z]

The instructions say to support it every 12 feet...

"If it flutters in the wind"..., the wires will break.

Doesn't sound all that handy to me...


The webbing looks fairly course.... so water may not be a factor..

But I bet ICE would be!

[Opcom]

I wonder what kind of dielectric qualities the insulation has. It might or might not be lossy depending on the frequency.

[Tom WA3KLR]

At this point, someone needs to buy or borrow 100 - 200 feet and measure the dc resistance, TL impedance, matched loss, velocity factor and settle this.

[WD8BIL]

I don't know about the ribbon stuff but.... 17ga electric fence wire works decent for antenna wire. The dipoles at the cabin have been up for 11 years now. The 160 meter wire at home works well. PLUS ..... a 1/2 mile roll was only $14 at Tractor Supply.

a lot of antenners in 1/2 mile of wire.