"Richard Clark" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:36:01 -0800, "Juan M."
wrote:

This system works fine until our winter storms kick in. Often, during
those
storms, a tree will lose a limb or two and take the antenna down with it.
I
am then left with a halyard tied to an insulator 50 ft or more above the
ground with no way to get the insulator back down short of hiring another
costly climber.

Does anyone have any solutions to this problem?

Hi John,

From Rain City (Seattle). I did this in a Maple forest. I did mine
with pulleys top and bottom with a continuous loop like a flag pole. I
then passed up another pulley on that loop for the runner holding the
wire antenna. Then I made sure it would break at the wire connection,
not the rope. The continuous loop always gave me access to the pulley
that the antenna rope passed through.

Just be sure the two ropes coming off the pulley don't gett tangled up with
each other. Mine did

I used a two liter bottle of
water to ballast and tension the wire pulley system.


This also works. As the tree sways back and forth, you don't want the wire
to keep moving. I brought the fixed end of the rope some distance from the
tree, and fastened it to half of a cinder block laying on the ground. The
cinder block will move to give you slack, but not move back when the branch
moves in the other direction.

Tam/WB2TT
Think FUSE. Choose your point of failure, don't let it happen.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Tam wrote:

"Richard Clark" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:36:01 -0800, "Juan M."
wrote:

This system works fine until our winter storms kick in. Often,
during those
storms, a tree will lose a limb or two and take the antenna down with
it. I
am then left with a halyard tied to an insulator 50 ft or more above the
ground with no way to get the insulator back down short of hiring
another
costly climber.

Does anyone have any solutions to this problem?

Hi John,

From Rain City (Seattle). I did this in a Maple forest. I did mine
with pulleys top and bottom with a continuous loop like a flag pole. I
then passed up another pulley on that loop for the runner holding the
wire antenna. Then I made sure it would break at the wire connection,
not the rope. The continuous loop always gave me access to the pulley
that the antenna rope passed through.

Just be sure the two ropes coming off the pulley don't gett tangled up
with each other. Mine did

I used a two liter bottle of
water to ballast and tension the wire pulley system.


This also works. As the tree sways back and forth, you don't want the
wire to keep moving. I brought the fixed end of the rope some distance
from the tree, and fastened it to half of a cinder block laying on the
ground. The cinder block will move to give you slack, but not move back
when the branch moves in the other direction.

I've often used window sash weights. There isn't much call for 'em
these days and they can often be found at yard sales and flea markets
for next to nothing. If you can't find them, try using a quart milk
carton filled with concrete mix. After you've filled the container with
the concrete, place a large fender washer on the end of a three or four
inch long eye bolt, add a nut and stick it in the concrete. A pencil
through the eye will hold it in position until the concrete cures.

Afterward, it is simple to peel away the waxed paper carton. The
concrete can be painted some neutral color.

Dave K8MN

Dave Heil wrote:

inch long eye bolt, add a nut and stick it in the concrete. A pencil
through the eye will hold it in position until the concrete cures.

Arrrrgh! That'a a little extreme, donchya think Dave?


hehe.

- 73 de Mike N3LI -

Michael Coslo wrote:
Dave Heil wrote:

inch long eye bolt, add a nut and stick it in the concrete. A pencil
through the eye will hold it in position until the concrete cures.

Arrrrgh! That'a a little extreme, donchya think Dave?


hehe.

I don't care to imagine concrete blocks dangling in space or screen door
closers affixed to trees, Mike.

Dave K8MN

Dave Heil wrote:

...
I don't care to imagine concrete blocks dangling in space or screen door
closers affixed to trees, Mike.

Dave K8MN

Neither do I.

I'd imagine a pulley in the tree which a rope attached to the antenna to
be tensioned was attached. This rope would then run to a weight on the
ground to where the HD door closers were attached.

I mean, I'd imagine that as opposed to beginning to pour concrete to
which an eyebolt with a insufficient deadman held into the concrete!

JS

John Smith wrote:
Dave Heil wrote:

...
I don't care to imagine concrete blocks dangling in space or screen
door closers affixed to trees, Mike.

Dave K8MN

Neither do I.

I'd imagine a pulley in the tree which a rope attached to the antenna to
be tensioned was attached. This rope would then run to a weight on the
ground to where the HD door closers were attached.

I mean, I'd imagine that as opposed to beginning to pour concrete to
which an eyebolt with a insufficient deadman held into the concrete!

Try to keep your anonymous sniping to yourself, CB "John". There's *no*
dead man in the concrete. It is simply a bolt, a large fender washer
and a nut. It is supporting only a wire antenna. It isn't guying a
tower. A 3/8", three or four inch long bolt in concrete is more than
sufficient for the job. Read my earlier post where I suggest a window
sash weight. These are cast iron with a loop at the top end. Both have
been used without failure for decades. No Rube Goldberg devices were
necessary.

Dave K8MN

Dave Heil wrote:
... It is simply a bolt, a large fender washer
and a nut. It is supporting only a wire antenna. It isn't guying a
tower. A 3/8", three or four inch long bolt in concrete is more than
sufficient for the job. Read my earlier post where I suggest a window
sash weight. These are cast iron with a loop at the top end. Both have
been used without failure for decades. No Rube Goldberg devices were
necessary.

Dave K8MN

The fender washer, now mentioned, would go a long way towards creating a
better deadman ...

JS

Dave Heil wrote:

...
Dave K8MN

OK. Sorry. I see the fender mentioned washer mentioned in one of your
previous posts. That is bound to happen, I only scan 1 out of 4-10 of
your posts--and have my news reader set to mark your new posts as
already having been read, easy to miss 'em. LOL

JS

Dave Heil wrote in
:

Michael Coslo wrote:
Dave Heil wrote:

inch long eye bolt, add a nut and stick it in the concrete. A
pencil through the eye will hold it in position until the concrete
cures.

Arrrrgh! That'a a little extreme, donchya think Dave?


hehe.

I don't care to imagine concrete blocks dangling in space or screen
door closers affixed to trees, Mike.


Just a joke Dave. Read the "A pencil through the eye will hold it
in position until the concrete cures" out of it's proper context.

Hey, I didn't say it was all that good of a joke.... ;^)


- 73 de Mike N3LI -

Mike Coslo wrote:
Dave Heil wrote in
:

Michael Coslo wrote:
Dave Heil wrote:

inch long eye bolt, add a nut and stick it in the concrete. A
pencil through the eye will hold it in position until the concrete
cures.
Arrrrgh! That'a a little extreme, donchya think Dave?


hehe.
I don't care to imagine concrete blocks dangling in space or screen
door closers affixed to trees, Mike.


Just a joke Dave. Read the "A pencil through the eye will hold it
in position until the concrete cures" out of it's proper context.

Hey, I didn't say it was all that good of a joke.... ;^)

I didn't notice it at first reading, Mike. It isn't all that bad a joke.

I'm just glad you didn't latch on to "fender washer".

Dave K8MN