Tom,

I don't know about the MFJ supply as compared to the Samlex.  You aren't going
to be using it on a heavy-duty basis, so it may be okay.

As far as the coax, I've heard the same thing.  But, I've had some here
outdoors for years and it seems to be holding up well.  I put a bunch of that
waterproofing goup around the connection point to the beam, and in the other
run I did the same thing and have a rubber boot around the top of the RG259
coax connector.

Steve
k8sp

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Behler" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2003 7:38 PM
Subject: two quick questions


Hello, all.

I have two quick questions about some purchases I recently made at a local
ham swap.  I am beginning to have second thoughts as to whether I have made
the best decisions in buying these items.  One of the items is returnable if
I have made a mistake, but the other one may not be.

Here are my questions:

1.  I purchased an MFJ 4125 Mighty Light switching power supply for my Icom
IC718 HF transceiver.  I'm going to use it to run my portable HF station.
The supply is rated at 22 amps continuous, and 25 amps surge.

I am not worried about having sufficient power to run the rig, but am
worried about the reliability of the supply itself.  A number of folks say I
might have been better off buying a similarly-rated Samlex model.  Does
anyone know how Samlex and MFJ switching supplies compare?  Has anyone had
good luck with the MFJ supplies?  This is a returnable item, since MFJ has
the "no matter what" return policy within ten days, I think.  I appreciate
any thoughts on this one.

2.  I purchased a roll of RG8U foam insulated coax, thinking it would be
fairly high-quality, and easier for people to work with when stringing up a
feedline.  Now, I am told by at least one ham friend that RG8U is awful
stuff for outdoor use;  that it soaks up water like a sponge.  Is this true?
Have I screwdd up here?  If so, does anyone want 100 foot of this stuff for
some kind of indoor use?  I may be stuck with the coax in this case, since
it doesn't come with a waranty, so be honest with me;  I guess the worse
thing that could happen is that I now have a bunch of indoor coax.  The
thing is that the guy I bought it from said it would be perfectly fine for
outdoor use, and that it has lower loss than some other kinds I could have
picked.

Let me know what you guys think.

Thanks again as always.

Best 73 from Tom Behler:  KB8TYJ