"Bruce in Alaska" wrote in message
"Jack Painter" wrote:

who referenced a steel ship, which is my reference as well. I have seen
hardline (still 50ohm coax) in shipboard installations using the same
Sunair
ATU that I use, connected to the wire HF antennas. It appears (to me) no
different that the ungrounded dipole that I feed with coax from my land
station tuners. I have also fed a longwire with that same tuner/coax
combnation, however the longwire was a grounded antenna, and not simlar to
a
insulated backstay of a sailboat.

Coaxial Cable is the WRONG Stuff to be feeding and EndFeed Longwire
Antennas with, even should you not ground the shield, which would be
disasterous in any case.
What is needed is good old GTO15, which like others have
plainly stated, High Voltage - Super High Isulation Wire. In a pinch
I have used the Center Insulation and Feedwire from RG8 or similar
coax with the shiled and jacket stripped off, but this is still not as
good as GTO15.
Yes there are a bunch of Installers who ran around using Hardline
to feed USCG MF/HF SunAirs Antenna Systems from their AutoTuners a few
years back, but the folks who had to maintain those systems 24/7 up
here in alaska, ripped all that **** out and replaced it with
conventional PhospherBronze Antenna Wire with insulators, when it was
determined that the original installations were STONED DEAF compared to
a one transistor radio.
How do I know this you ask? I was the FCC Resident Field Agent
for Southeastern Alaska, and watched it all happen.

Bruce, I am asking why there is apparently such difference between feeding
an ungrounded dipole with coax from an ATU (my shore station) and feeding an
insulated (hence ungrounded) backstay from an ATU? I work Alaska bareback
in the summertime with that setup and I just can't understand what GTO-15
does that hardline doesn't. If you could explain or reference a document
that specifies the reasoning I would try to correct my misunderstanding.

Thanks,

Jack Painter
Virginia Beach, Va