DX-WIRE Ultralight UL This is the "Best of the Best" with 1500 watt rating (conditional)

DX-WIRE Ultralight UL - Strong Lightweight Antenna Wire This stranded antenna wire is supplied to us from Germany. The lightweight load bearing core of the wire is made from Vectran, which is a high strength synthetic fibre. The Vectran fibres are wrapped with six tinned copper strands of 0.25 mm O.D. The effective surface of the wire is substantially enlarged to an effective skin area of more than 0.5 mm2 in RF applications. To make the core weatherproof it is coated with a UV-resistant black polyethylene sleeve. With a total diameter of only 1.6 mm (incl. insulation) and a weight of just 4 g/m the tensile-strength of 60 kg (130 lbs) is exceptional. Considering the copper content of 3g/m the weight advantage of the synthetic fibre becomes obvious. DX-Wire UL allows you to make extremely long LW-antennas and Beverages with minimal slack, in a way that is not possible with conventional antenna wires. DX-Wire UL is great for balloon or kite-supported antennas. Its low weight and high break-load makes it most suitable for DX-peditions. We are often asked how much power can be run using such thin wires. In "full-size" antennas they should stand up to 1500 Watts when using SSB/CW in normal amateur radio duty cycles. But for shortened antennas with low impedances and thus high currents, thicker wires should be used. Instructions for use The outer jacket for the latest batch of this wire was extruded with very high pressure. This makes the wire more rugged and long lasting, but also makes it more difficult to strip the wire, because the braid and insulation are intertwined more closely. The manufacturer recommends heating the wire ends with a hairdryer or heat gun before stripping. We have had some success in stripping it without heating if we use a good quality wire stripper and don't try to strip a long length of jacket all in one go. For 'automatic' wire stripping tools which clamp and strip the wire when you squeeze the handles together, applying some extra pressure where it grips the wire may also help. But if you have any problems, then applying a bit of heat to soften the insulation should allow you to strip the wire. Note that the very lightweight design means that this wire may be more vulnerable to damage from kinks or sharp bends than other types of wire. For best results, handle the wire carefully to avoid these. If storing this wire on a winder, using a figure-of-eight winding pattern can reduce the risk of kinking. Also note that winding it too tightly should be avoided, as this may cause sharp bends in the wire. However, kinks and sharp bends should be much less of a problem with the newest design of this wire. To protect the thin wire against damage and kinks from wire clips, the ends should be strengthened with adhesive lined shrink tubing. This is particularly recommended for permanent and high-safety installations. Therefore we offer suitable shrink tubing as an accessory. Our 3-1mm adhesive-lined tubing is good for this. To cut the wire, sharp scissors may work better than wire cutters. With scissors, the edges of the blades slide past each other when you close them, which is better for cutting the reinforcing fibres in this wire. With some types of wire cutter, the sharp edges just touch each other when closed, so they will struggle to cut the thin fibres - as the name indicates, they are designed more for wire than fibres. Specification (new type) Vectran core with 36 x 0.1mm tinned copper strands (cross section approx 0.3 mm2) braided around it, Weather-proof black polyethylene (HDPE) insulation, 1.6 mm outer diameter Weight: only 4 grams per metre Breaking-load: 750 N (around 75 kg) Specification (original type) Vectran core wrapped with six 0.25 mm copper strands (cross section approx 0.3 mm2), Weather-proof black polyethylene (PE) insulation, 1.6 mm outer diameter Weight: only 4 grams per metre Breaking-load: 620 N (60 kg or 130 lbs) Velocity factor 0.97