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: briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________


"Rod"  wrote in message 
news:6bc0grF3bfgnaU1@mid.individual.net...
> 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>