Hi,

Pretty sure I'll probably be able to come up with something that will more
or less work, but was wondering if any of you folks have a real clever
solution for this:

Will be stringing a horiz wire listening only antenna between two trees out
back.
Trees have a fair amount of movement, particularly in the winter.

So, I thought I'd fasten one end securely, and then use the pulley
arrangement, with a hanging weight, like you see in all the pix for this
sort of thing.

But, we get a lot of ice and freezing rain, and I doubt that the pulley
would really function well, if at all in the winter.
But, perhaps ?

Think a large metal ring, with a Dacron rope goint thru (one end to the wire
end) would be better ?
Coat Dacron with Silicone Spray ?

Or,... ?

Bob

One alternative is to use whatever pulley arrangement you can, and to
add a spring between the rope and end of the antenna (insulator would
probably be worth having too). How big of a spring? Beats me, how
big/heavy is your antenna?
- 'Doc

"Robert11" wrote in message
...
Hi,

Pretty sure I'll probably be able to come up with something that will more
or less work, but was wondering if any of you folks have a real clever
solution for this:

Will be stringing a horiz wire listening only antenna between two trees
out back.
Trees have a fair amount of movement, particularly in the winter.

So, I thought I'd fasten one end securely, and then use the pulley
arrangement, with a hanging weight, like you see in all the pix for this
sort of thing.

But, we get a lot of ice and freezing rain, and I doubt that the pulley
would really function well, if at all in the winter.
But, perhaps ?

Think a large metal ring, with a Dacron rope goint thru (one end to the
wire end) would be better ?
Coat Dacron with Silicone Spray ?

Or,... ?

Bob

Bob,
Pulley's and jugs of anti-freeze have worked well for me through 5 winters
here in NH.
No apparent problems with "boat pulleys" seizing up. I would worry more
about friction on the
rope!. My 220 foot antenna of #10 copperweld with W7FG ladderline requires 5
gallon jugs of
anti-freeze and is supported with the double braided Dacron in about a 300
foot span.
Regards,
Ed, N5EI


Ed, N5EI

On Fri, 3 Feb 2006 07:46:17 -0500, "Robert11"
wrote:
[snip]
But, we get a lot of ice and freezing rain, and I doubt that the pulley
would really function well, if at all in the winter.
But, perhaps ?

[snip]

I use a marine pulley. It is rated at 700 LBS, its housing is made of
stainless steel and the wheel is nylon. I have a 200+ foot span
between some very high fir trees. These suckers really whip around
when those Pacific winter storms hit. Mine system has been up for over
ten years with out any mishaps.




email: k6mheatarrldotnet
http://www.k6mhe.com/

Robert11 wrote:
Hi,

Pretty sure I'll probably be able to come up with something that will more
or less work, but was wondering if any of you folks have a real clever
solution for this:

Will be stringing a horiz wire listening only antenna between two trees out
back.
Trees have a fair amount of movement, particularly in the winter.

So, I thought I'd fasten one end securely, and then use the pulley
arrangement, with a hanging weight, like you see in all the pix for this
sort of thing.

But, we get a lot of ice and freezing rain, and I doubt that the pulley
would really function well, if at all in the winter.
But, perhaps ?

Think a large metal ring, with a Dacron rope goint thru (one end to the wire
end) would be better ?
Coat Dacron with Silicone Spray ?

In Colorado I had a 150' balanced fed dipole hung between a blue spruce
and an oak tree, the spruce end fastened and the oak end with a pulley
held up with a garage door spring to the oak, a rope through the pulley
to the ground and tied off to a screw eye in the trunk of the tree. I
used nylon ropes, allowed the dipole to sag a couple feet and never had
a problem with it. The garage door spring was about 4 feet long relaxed
and I could stretch it a foot or so just pulling on it, it was stretched
maybe two feet with the antenna up. The pulley was handy because the
feed line broke off and I was able to lower the feed point to the ground
and make repairs. The antenna would bounce around on windy days, stayed
up with about an inch coating of snow and ice and got me a QSL card from
a Clipperton Island expedition.

W8LNA

On Fri, 3 Feb 2006 07:46:17 -0500, "Robert11"
wrote:


So, I thought I'd fasten one end securely, and then use the pulley
arrangement, with a hanging weight, like you see in all the pix for this
sort of thing.


Here in Georgia I use a pulley with a 15 lb small boat anchor
I picked up at Bass Pro Shop. More expensive, but not as messy as
plastic jugs and liquid.


Bill Cherepy
Grayson, GA

... was wondering if any of you folks have a real clever solution for this:
... [snipping pulley and weight vs. spring discussion...]

Instead of pulleys, I use a fairly-large (they come in several sizes)
screw-in glass insulators like you might use when running a power line;
they are easy to install, plenty strong enough, there's no danger of
the rope slipping off the pulley wheel, and they are smooth enough that
I've never had a rope break because of chafing.

And instead of weights, I use one/two/three/... (as many as I think the
length and weight of wire needs) screen-door-type springs; they're cheap
and seem to last forever. They can be overstretched, but they're cheap....

If you do use a weight, be sure to tie it up (loosely) in such a way that
if the antenna breaks, the weight won't clobber someone who just happens
to be standing below it!
--
--Myron A. Calhoun.
Five boxes preserve our freedoms: soap, ballot, witness, jury, and cartridge
PhD EE (retired). "Barbershop" tenor. CDL(PTXS). W0PBV. (785) 539-4448
NRA Life Member and Certified Instructor (Home Firearm Safety, Rifle, Pistol)

On Fri, 3 Feb 2006 07:46:17 -0500, "Robert11"
wrote:

Hi,

Pretty sure I'll probably be able to come up with something that will more
or less work, but was wondering if any of you folks have a real clever
solution for this:

Will be stringing a horiz wire listening only antenna between two trees out
back.
Trees have a fair amount of movement, particularly in the winter.

So, I thought I'd fasten one end securely, and then use the pulley
arrangement, with a hanging weight, like you see in all the pix for this
sort of thing.

But, we get a lot of ice and freezing rain, and I doubt that the pulley
would really function well, if at all in the winter.
But, perhaps ?

Think a large metal ring, with a Dacron rope goint thru (one end to the wire
end) would be better ?
Coat Dacron with Silicone Spray ?

Or,... ?

Bob


For a 130 foot dipole stretched between 3 trees, I use inexpensive
screen door springs from the hardware store at each end. The springs
get rusty, but still work and my antenna has yet to break.

bob
k5qwg

"Robert11" wrote in
:

Hi,

Pretty sure I'll probably be able to come up with something that will
more or less work, but was wondering if any of you folks have a real
clever solution for this:

Will be stringing a horiz wire listening only antenna between two
trees out back.
Trees have a fair amount of movement, particularly in the winter.

So, I thought I'd fasten one end securely, and then use the pulley
arrangement, with a hanging weight, like you see in all the pix for
this sort of thing.

But, we get a lot of ice and freezing rain, and I doubt that the
pulley would really function well, if at all in the winter.
But, perhaps ?

Think a large metal ring, with a Dacron rope goint thru (one end to
the wire end) would be better ?
Coat Dacron with Silicone Spray ?

Basic rule of thumb: If an antenna stays up all winter it wasn't big
enough. Grin, duck and run

--
Dave Oldridge+
ICQ 1800667