I have in my yard two 60 foot steel poles about 120 feet apart, placed there
40 years ago by a previous ham owner. The old halyards, about 3/4 inch
diameter cotton-covered wire (wire core was about 1/8 inch) are long gone,
and I need to find new rope to haul up my wire. I can't find anything like
the old stuff.

I was thinking about using wire rope, the flexible 7x19 kind, maybe
stainless steel, at maybe 3/8 inch diameter. I think that will roll over the
pulleys (which I think are less than 1 inch radius). Given that my longest
wire will have maybe 8-10 feet of poly lines supporting each end, will wire
rope present appreciably more metal at the ends than the poles themselves
will?

Is there a synthetic rope up to the task? Keep in mind that the rope I need
will be running vertically, and when the antenna load is placed
perpendicularly, the loads on the halyard will be in the several hundred- to
thousand-pound load range. Of course it needs to last for decades or more in
the sun.

As always, if you have suggestions that haven't occurred to me I'll gladly
listen to them.

--
Bruce Wilson KF7K
http://science.uvsc.edu/wilson

"Bruce Wilson" wrote in
:

I have in my yard two 60 foot steel poles about 120 feet apart, placed
there 40 years ago by a previous ham owner. The old halyards, about
3/4 inch diameter cotton-covered wire (wire core was about 1/8 inch)
are long gone, and I need to find new rope to haul up my wire. I can't
find anything like the old stuff.

I was thinking about using wire rope, the flexible 7x19 kind, maybe
stainless steel, at maybe 3/8 inch diameter. I think that will roll
over the pulleys (which I think are less than 1 inch radius). Given
that my longest wire will have maybe 8-10 feet of poly lines
supporting each end, will wire rope present appreciably more metal at
the ends than the poles themselves will?

Is there a synthetic rope up to the task? Keep in mind that the rope I
need will be running vertically, and when the antenna load is placed
perpendicularly, the loads on the halyard will be in the several
hundred- to thousand-pound load range. Of course it needs to last for
decades or more in the sun.

As always, if you have suggestions that haven't occurred to me I'll
gladly listen to them.

What the blazes are you planning to pull up there? A Sterba for 15
meters or something?


--
Dave Oldridge+
ICQ 1800667

Ham Radio Outlet, HRO, sells a Black Nylon Antenna Rope that will do just fine.

www.hamradio.com

- - -


Bruce Wilson wrote:

I have in my yard two 60 foot steel poles about 120 feet apart, placed there
40 years ago by a previous ham owner. The old halyards, about 3/4 inch
diameter cotton-covered wire (wire core was about 1/8 inch) are long gone,
and I need to find new rope to haul up my wire. I can't find anything like
the old stuff.

I was thinking about using wire rope, the flexible 7x19 kind, maybe
stainless steel, at maybe 3/8 inch diameter. I think that will roll over the
pulleys (which I think are less than 1 inch radius). Given that my longest
wire will have maybe 8-10 feet of poly lines supporting each end, will wire
rope present appreciably more metal at the ends than the poles themselves
will?

Is there a synthetic rope up to the task? Keep in mind that the rope I need
will be running vertically, and when the antenna load is placed
perpendicularly, the loads on the halyard will be in the several hundred- to
thousand-pound load range. Of course it needs to last for decades or more in
the sun.

As always, if you have suggestions that haven't occurred to me I'll gladly
listen to them.

I am using a couple thousand feet of the black braided dacron form
DAVIS RF for some ten years now... Still looks like new...'

denny

For antenna wire, cables, and ropes, I usually start with Radioworks.
You'll find an excellent selection of antenna lines and ropes for whatever
application you want at:

http://radioworks.com/PDFCat05/70-71.pdf


Ed K7AAT

"Bruce Wilson" wrote in message
. ..
I have in my yard two 60 foot steel poles about 120 feet apart, placed
there 40 years ago by a previous ham owner. The old halyards, about 3/4
inch diameter cotton-covered wire (wire core was about 1/8 inch) are long
gone, and I need to find new rope to haul up my wire. I can't find anything
like the old stuff.

I was thinking about using wire rope, the flexible 7x19 kind, maybe
stainless steel, at maybe 3/8 inch diameter. I think that will roll over
the pulleys (which I think are less than 1 inch radius). Given that my
longest wire will have maybe 8-10 feet of poly lines supporting each end,
will wire rope present appreciably more metal at the ends than the poles
themselves will?

Is there a synthetic rope up to the task? Keep in mind that the rope I
need will be running vertically, and when the antenna load is placed
perpendicularly, the loads on the halyard will be in the several hundred-
to thousand-pound load range. Of course it needs to last for decades or
more in the sun.

As always, if you have suggestions that haven't occurred to me I'll gladly
listen to them.

--
Bruce Wilson KF7K
http://science.uvsc.edu/wilson
I am using two lengths of 3/16 th black Dacron covered rope from
CableXperts, or maybe Texas Towers. It has been holding up 280 feet of 75
meter loop ( #14 wire) for at least 6 years. (It makes a 90 degree bend at
75 feet). I once used 3/8 inch Poly something rope. It rotted so badly that
after 6 months I could pull it apart between my two hands. BTW, you can do a
LOT worse than plastic covered clothesline; after all, it is meant for
outdoor use.

Tam/WB2TT

Tam/WB2TT wrote:
. . . I once used 3/8 inch Poly something rope. It rotted so badly that
after 6 months I could pull it apart between my two hands. . .

That would have been polypropylene, widely sold in hardware and DIY
stores. It rots in no time if exposed to UV. Polyester holds up very
well, and nylon is just about as good. (I think most of the rope sold
specifically for antenna use is polyester.) I'd use black rope if I
lived in an area having a lot of direct sunlight and/or one that's at at
high elevation, since this improves its UV resistance, but ordinary
nylon or polyester rope lasts many years at my western Oregon QTH.
(Maybe the moss/algae growth helps.) I like nylon because its
stretchiness acts as a shock absorber, but this would be a disadvantage
for some applications.

Roy Lewallen

"Roy Lewallen" wrote in message
...
That would have been polypropylene, widely sold in hardware and DIY
stores. It rots in no time if exposed to UV. Polyester holds up very
well, and nylon is just about as good. (I think most of the rope sold
specifically for antenna use is polyester.) I'd use black rope if I lived
in an area having a lot of direct sunlight and/or one that's at at high
elevation, since this improves its UV resistance, but ordinary nylon or
polyester rope lasts many years at my western Oregon QTH. (Maybe the
moss/algae growth helps.) I like nylon because its stretchiness acts as a
shock absorber, but this would be a disadvantage for some applications.

Roy Lewallen

Polyester (Dacron) rope has the higher ultraviolet resistance. Nylon,
especially if formulated with UV absorbers and anti-oxidants does fairly
well too. If you get acid rain in your area, Nylon will not last nearly as
long.
Polyethylene and polypropylene ropes are rapidly destroyed in sunlight.

The mechanism that protects polyester from ultraviolet in sunlight is an
interesting one. When a short wavelength photon hits the polymer in the
rope, its energy has to go somewhere. Often it just heats the polymer, but
sometimes it breaks the polymer chain. Polyolefin ropes (polypropylene and
polyethylene) have an easily broken polymer backbone. The backbone is much
stronger in polyamides (Nylon). Polyesters, however, have aromatic
(benzene-like) structures in them that absorb the short wavelength UV
radiation and re-emit it as longer wavelength fluorescence. In
polyethylene terephthalate (PET, Dacron) this fluorescence is generally in
the near infrared so it is not visible. In polyethylene naphthalate (PEN),
the fluorescence is in the visible region. This polyester has better
barrier properties for food use and can withstand slightly higher
temperatures than the PET used in most plastic soft drink bottles and food
containers. But the fluorescence is unwanted in most food applications so
quenching agents are added to suppress this property.

Dacron is DuPont's proprietary name for their PET. Usually rope sellers
charge a premium for the name, but polyester fibers as used in ropes are
manufactured by many other companies. Roy is correct about the black rope
lasting longer. Carbon black added to the polyester is an excellent UV
absorber.

73, Barry WA4VZQ

Remove the NO SPAM to reply directly.

On Thu, 17 Aug 2006 01:33:58 -0400, "Graywolf"
wrote:

Polyethylene and polypropylene ropes are rapidly destroyed in sunlight.

Barry,

There is a type of rope known here as Silver Rope. I understand that
it is manufactured from UV stabilised polyethylene and claims
resistance to sunlight. It is also claimed to be resistance to most
acids and alkalis.

It is a very low cost rope, white in colour, and is widely used in
marine applications.

I have halyards and tails of this stuff that have been in the weather
for 10 years with no significant degradation (superficially or
observed when the strands are opened up).

Silver Rope is about half the price of Dacron rope (though only about
80% of the strength of Dacron). It takes knots well (as well as the
better synthetic fibre ropes, it has a slightly greasy feel), good
abrasion resistance and it is easy to splice.

Owen
--

"Owen Duffy" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 17 Aug 2006 01:33:58 -0400, "Graywolf"
wrote:

Polyethylene and polypropylene ropes are rapidly destroyed in sunlight.

Barry,

There is a type of rope known here as Silver Rope. I understand that
it is manufactured from UV stabilised polyethylene and claims
resistance to sunlight. It is also claimed to be resistance to most
acids and alkalis.

It is a very low cost rope, white in colour, and is widely used in
marine applications.

I have halyards and tails of this stuff that have been in the weather
for 10 years with no significant degradation (superficially or
observed when the strands are opened up).

Silver Rope is about half the price of Dacron rope (though only about
80% of the strength of Dacron). It takes knots well (as well as the
better synthetic fibre ropes, it has a slightly greasy feel), good
abrasion resistance and it is easy to splice.

Owen
--
If you live anywhere near water, a boat shop might be a good source for rope
that will withstand weather and UV. Think of all the rope on a sail boat. I
haven't checked prices.

Tam/WB2TT