"Irv Finkleman" wrote in message
...


snip

... I will only be running 5W (if I'm lucky)
and wonder about the voltage at the end of the wire. Will some
heat shrink provide suitable insulation to prevent corona from
starting the bush on fire? Is there a better idea? I will be
using PTFE (Teflon) insulated wire.

Experience: I built a 10m sleeve dipole from copper pipe and I was
justifiably concerned about voltage at the end where the feedline entered,
so I encased the coaxial feedline in a length of PVC pipe. It acted as a
separator.

This arrangement necessitated making one element larger than planned, so to
accomodate the PVC, but it apparently worked. I never suffered an
arc-through.

Today: If you were to secure the tree-end of your wire entirely within a
length of PVC pipe, you would guarantee a separation of enter PVC wall
thickness here millimeters from anything else. If you then glue some
additional PVC fittings onto this "insulator," you can use them for
mechanical attachment to whatever in the trees. Either that or hang the
PVC from/within tree branches.

Good luck

"Sal"