I've recently hung an outside long-wire antenna, and have been listening to shortwave on my Hallicrafters S-40B.

Here lately, there has been ice on the antenna wire itself, which doesn't concern me. But now, I notice ice over the egg-type insulators suspending my antenna wire.

So, I have ice shorting the antenna wire across the insulator. I wonder if this is a problem? Maybe pure ice is just as good an insulator as a plastic insulator itself?

It's supposedly going down to -10F tonight. Probably solidly frozen ice is a better insulator that ice at +32?
Doug

:I've recently hung an outside long-wire antenna, and have been listening to shortwave on my Hallicrafters S-40B.
:
:Here lately, there has been ice on the antenna wire itself, which doesn't concern me. But now, I notice ice over the egg-type insulators suspending my antenna wire.
:
:So, I have ice shorting the antenna wire across the insulator. I wonder if this is a problem? Maybe pure ice is just as good an insulator as a plastic insulator itself?
:
:It's supposedly going down to -10F tonight. Probably solidly frozen ice is a better insulator that ice at +32?
:Doug

Doug:
We never took any precautions about antenna ice on the airplanes at Delta, except the three motor jobs where the center engine air intake was right behind the ventral antenna, to keep a chunk of ice from entering the engine. Other antennas (antennae?) from below the AM broadcast band to over a gigaHertz iced over and since the ice was solid distilled water, there was no difference in the performance.

However, from my AT&T days, we hated ice like the devil hates holy water because it would bring down conductors on the old open lines. So, I would worry more about the weight of the ice than the effect on performance.
Lewis

::I've recently hung an outside long-wire antenna, and have been listening to shortwave on my Hallicrafters S-40B.
::
::Here lately, there has been ice on the antenna wire itself, which doesn't concern me. But now, I notice ice over the egg-type insulators suspending my antenna wire.
::
::So, I have ice shorting the antenna wire across the insulator. I wonder if this is a problem? Maybe pure ice is just as good an insulator as a plastic insulator itself?
::
::It's supposedly going down to -10F tonight. Probably solidly frozen ice is a better insulator that ice at +32?
::Doug
:
:
:Doug:
:We never took any precautions about antenna ice on the airplanes at Delta, except the three motor jobs where the center engine air intake was right behind the ventral antenna, to keep a chunk of ice from entering the engine. Other antennas (antennae?) from below the AM broadcast band to over a gigaHertz iced over and since the ice was solid distilled water, there was no difference in the performance.
:
:However, from my AT&T days, we hated ice like the devil hates holy water because it would bring down conductors on the old open lines. So, I would worry more about the weight of the ice than the effect on performance.
:Lewis

P. S. It might get down to + 40 tonight, is now +61F and I have to do yard work today.
L. L.

Lewis, I'm jealous - it's now 2pm Sunday, and the temp here is +2F.

My long wire antenna is, I think, #10 hard-drawn copper. When ice tears it down, the power lines will likely be down too.

I won't worry about ice shorting RF across the insulators.
Doug

::
::Doug:
::We never took any precautions about antenna ice on the airplanes at Delta, except the three motor jobs where the center engine air intake was right behind the ventral antenna, to keep a chunk of ice from entering the engine. Other antennas (antennae?) from below the AM broadcast band to over a gigaHertz iced over and since the ice was solid distilled water, there was no difference in the performance.
::
::However, from my AT&T days, we hated ice like the devil hates holy water because it would bring down conductors on the old open lines. So, I would worry more about the weight of the ice than the effect on performance.
::Lewis
:
:P. S. It might get down to + 40 tonight, is now +61F and I have to do yard work today.
:L. L.

It was a whopping 5 degrees out when I was out and about this afternoon. Gotta love Michigan...

:Lewis, I'm jealous - it's now 2pm Sunday, and the temp here is +2F.
:
:My long wire antenna is, I think, #10 hard-drawn copper. When ice tears it down, the power lines will likely be down too.
:
:I won't worry about ice shorting RF across the insulators.
:Doug
:
:::
:::Doug:
:::We never took any precautions about antenna ice on the airplanes at Delta, except the three motor jobs where the center engine air intake was right behind the ventral antenna, to keep a chunk of ice from entering the engine. Other antennas (antennae?) from below the AM broadcast band to over a gigaHertz iced over and since the ice was solid distilled water, there was no difference in the performance.
:::
:::However, from my AT&T days, we hated ice like the devil hates holy water because it would bring down conductors on the old open lines. So, I would worry more about the weight of the ice than the effect on performance.
:::Lewis
::
::P. S. It might get down to + 40 tonight, is now +61F and I have to do yard work today.
::L. L.