Ballast or grapple hook?
 

I'm in the middle of putting up a longwire antenna. One end is going
up in a tree in my back yard and the other end is going into one of my
neighbors trees. I think it's going to be about 150' long Should I
use a counter weight at my neighbor's end or try and fashion some sort
of grappling hook out of coat hanger and get it tangled up in the
tree? My friend thought 5 lbs of ballest thrown over a limb would do
it, but I think I'd need about 20 lbs. I'm worried about sticking 20
lbs of something or other up in the air. With my luck it would decide
to fall when some little kid was under it. Neighbor lady told me no,
I can't use her tree, but she is moving out in a few days anyway so I
figure to hurry up and get it up so it's there before the new owner
gets there. Grandfathered in so to speak. Ideas?

regards,
NEO.

Ballast or grapple hook?
 

N9NEO wrote:
I'm in the middle of putting up a longwire antenna. One end is going
up in a tree in my back yard and the other end is going into one of my
neighbors trees. I think it's going to be about 150' long Should I
use a counter weight at my neighbor's end or try and fashion some sort
of grappling hook out of coat hanger and get it tangled up in the
tree? My friend thought 5 lbs of ballest thrown over a limb would do
it, but I think I'd need about 20 lbs. I'm worried about sticking 20
lbs of something or other up in the air. With my luck it would decide
to fall when some little kid was under it. Neighbor lady told me no,
I can't use her tree, but she is moving out in a few days anyway so I
figure to hurry up and get it up so it's there before the new owner
gets there. Grandfathered in so to speak. Ideas?

regards,
NEO.
Will the trees flex in the wind?

Ballast or grapple hook?
 

In article
,
N9NEO wrote:

I'm in the middle of putting up a longwire antenna. One end is going
up in a tree in my back yard and the other end is going into one of my
neighbors trees. I think it's going to be about 150' long Should I
use a counter weight at my neighbor's end or try and fashion some sort
of grappling hook out of coat hanger and get it tangled up in the
tree? My friend thought 5 lbs of ballest thrown over a limb would do
it, but I think I'd need about 20 lbs. I'm worried about sticking 20
lbs of something or other up in the air. With my luck it would decide
to fall when some little kid was under it. Neighbor lady told me no,
I can't use her tree, but she is moving out in a few days anyway so I
figure to hurry up and get it up so it's there before the new owner
gets there. Grandfathered in so to speak. Ideas?

This sounds like a bad plan to me.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

SWL Newbies : Matching the Antenna Ballast Weight to the Wire AntennaElement
 

On Jul 4, 3:54*pm, N9NEO wrote:
I'm in the middle of putting up a longwire antenna. *One end is going
up in a tree in my back yard and the other end is going into one of my
neighbors trees. *I think it's going to be about 150' *long *Should I
use a counter weight at my neighbor's end or try and fashion some sort
of grappling hook out of coat hanger and get it tangled up in the
tree? *My friend thought 5 lbs of ballest thrown over a limb would do
it, but I think I'd need about 20 lbs. *I'm worried about sticking 20
lbs of something or other up in the air. *With my luck it would decide
to fall when some little kid was under it. *Neighbor lady told me no,
I can't use her tree, but she is moving out in a few days anyway so I
figure to hurry up and get it up so it's there before the new owner
gets there. *Grandfathered in so to speak. *Ideas?

regards,
NEO.

N9NEO,

? grappling hook out of coat hanger ?
! NOT A GOOD IDEA !
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opalmirror/1641086431/
-ps- Yes - It is Easier to Ask for Forgiveness . . .
Then To Get Permission ;-}

50+ Feet of 1/4" Poly/Nylon Rope up over a Tree
Limb and going around the Trunk of the Tree with
the Free-End Secured at the Base of the Tree.
-Note- Pulley Attached to the Top-End of the Rope
for Rigging the Antenna Wire and Poly/Nylon Ballast
Rope and Ballast Weight.
-Tip- Allows you to Raise and Lower the Antenna
Wire and Poly/Nylon Ballast Rope and Ballast
Weight as needed.

Question - What Kind of Antenna Wire are you using ?
http://www.thewireman.com/antennap.html

Matching the Antenna Ballast Weight to the Wire
Antenna Element :

1st - Take your ~150 Feet of Antenna Wire and
coil it up. Next Weigh the Wire. Then Multiply
the Weight of the Wire by Three Times (3X).

2nd - Take a Plastic Bleach Jug filled with Road
Mix or Gravel to Equal Three times the Weight
of the Wire.
-Note- This is your starting Ballast Weight : Which
should result in a relatively Horizontal [Flat] Antenna
Wire with only a slight 'sag'.
-Tip- If your Antenna Wire is being Whipped around
on a Windy Day : You Need More Ballast Weight.

Sufficient "Sag" for Wire Antenna Spans for Wind Survival
http://www.vk1od.net/rigging/sag.htm

-Note- # 14 AWG Insulated Copper Wire [THHN] made
of 19 Strands weighs about 25 Pounds per 1000 Feet.
-so- 150 Feet would weigh about 3.75 Lbs resulting
in a Ballast Weight of 10~12 Lbs.

3rd - Use a Pulley at the Far-End Anchor-Point of
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulley
the Antenna Wire. Use a Poly/Nylon Rope that is
big enough to fill the Pulley Wheel and Run Smoothly
through the Pulley.
http://www.qsradio.com/Antenna%20Pulley%20lg%20reg.JPG

4th - Use a Plastic Insulator at the Far-End of the
Antenna Wire and use about 10~15 Feet of Poly
Nylon Rope between the Insulator and the Far-End
Anchor-Point (Tree); with another 10~15 of Poly
Nylon Rope hanging down from the Pulley with
your Ballast {Jug} attached.
http://www.myinsulators.com/sluggo/i...tic-strain.jpg
http://www.myinsulators.com/sluggo/i...ompression.jpg

5th - Also use a Plastic Insulator at the Radio-End
of the Antenna Wire and use a minimum of 3~5 Feet
of Poly/Nylon Rope between the Insulator and the
Radio-End Anchor-Point (House/Tree).

Question - Do you get Snow and/or Ice during Winter ?
Answer - Then Triple your Ballast Weight.


rigging a shortwave radio listener's (swl) antenna
is a balancing act between the forces of man
and the forces of nature - iane ~ RHF {pomkia}

SWL Newbies : Matching the Antenna Ballast Weight to the WireAntenna Element
 

RHF wrote:


Pure polyester or clothesline (cotton cladded plastic) works better in
sunlight.

Ballast or grapple hook?
 

N9NEO wrote:
I'm in the middle of putting up a longwire antenna. One end is going
up in a tree in my back yard and the other end is going into one of my
neighbors trees. I think it's going to be about 150' long Should I
use a counter weight at my neighbor's end or try and fashion some sort
of grappling hook out of coat hanger and get it tangled up in the
tree?

Neither. The "grappling hook" is waaay too marginal to depend on and
even an expensive marine block ('pulley') will eventually stop operating
without maintenance, to say nothing of somebody getting beaned by the
weights.

I would recommend a screen door spring at each place you fasten to a
tree. Go to a hardware store and find the biggest, beefiest screen door
springs that you can and then give them several coats of paint for rust
prevention.

I've been using this method for a 140 foot dipole (made from 14 gauge
insulated wire) attached to a pine tree at one end and a Norway maple at
the other end; its been up continuously since 1996.

tree - screw eye (or hook) - rope - spring - rope - end insulator
- antenna wire

Good luck!

Ballast or grapple hook?
 

In article ,
Billy Burpelson wrote:

N9NEO wrote:
I'm in the middle of putting up a longwire antenna. One end is going
up in a tree in my back yard and the other end is going into one of my
neighbors trees. I think it's going to be about 150' long Should I
use a counter weight at my neighbor's end or try and fashion some sort
of grappling hook out of coat hanger and get it tangled up in the
tree?

Neither. The "grappling hook" is waaay too marginal to depend on and
even an expensive marine block ('pulley') will eventually stop operating
without maintenance, to say nothing of somebody getting beaned by the
weights.

I would recommend a screen door spring at each place you fasten to a
tree. Go to a hardware store and find the biggest, beefiest screen door
springs that you can and then give them several coats of paint for rust
prevention.

I've been using this method for a 140 foot dipole (made from 14 gauge
insulated wire) attached to a pine tree at one end and a Norway maple at
the other end; its been up continuously since 1996.

tree - screw eye (or hook) - rope - spring - rope - end insulator
- antenna wire

You left out the last part of the setup.

His tree - screw eye (or hook) - rope - spring - rope - end
insulator - antenna wire - neighbors tree - insulator - rope -
hanging weight - LAWSUIT

Don't forget that last part.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

SWL Newbies : Matching the Antenna Ballast Weight to the Wire Antenna Element
 

In article ,
Dave wrote:

RHF wrote:


Pure polyester or clothesline (cotton cladded plastic) works better in
sunlight.

What about at nighttime? He will have to put it backup everyday.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

Ballast or grapple hook?
 

"Telamon" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Billy Burpelson wrote:

N9NEO wrote:
I'm in the middle of putting up a longwire antenna. One end is going
up in a tree in my back yard and the other end is going into one of my
neighbors trees. I think it's going to be about 150' long Should I
use a counter weight at my neighbor's end or try and fashion some sort
of grappling hook out of coat hanger and get it tangled up in the
tree?

Neither. The "grappling hook" is waaay too marginal to depend on and
even an expensive marine block ('pulley') will eventually stop operating
without maintenance, to say nothing of somebody getting beaned by the
weights.

I would recommend a screen door spring at each place you fasten to a
tree. Go to a hardware store and find the biggest, beefiest screen door
springs that you can and then give them several coats of paint for rust
prevention.

I've been using this method for a 140 foot dipole (made from 14 gauge
insulated wire) attached to a pine tree at one end and a Norway maple at
the other end; its been up continuously since 1996.

tree - screw eye (or hook) - rope - spring - rope - end insulator
- antenna wire

You left out the last part of the setup.

His tree - screw eye (or hook) - rope - spring - rope - end
insulator - antenna wire - neighbors tree - insulator - rope -
hanging weight - LAWSUIT

Don't forget that last part.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

Can the hanging weight(s) be tethered to the tree by a short
length
of rope as an emergency catch-all ? Like wearinf both
belt AND suspenders. k35454.

Ballast or grapple hook?
 

I second the recommendation on using heavy duty springs--I also had several
feet of wire strung between a building and a Norway maple that moved in the
wind and never had a problem.

"Billy Burpelson" wrote in message
...
N9NEO wrote:
I'm in the middle of putting up a longwire antenna. One end is going
up in a tree in my back yard and the other end is going into one of my
neighbors trees. I think it's going to be about 150' long Should I
use a counter weight at my neighbor's end or try and fashion some sort
of grappling hook out of coat hanger and get it tangled up in the
tree?

Neither. The "grappling hook" is waaay too marginal to depend on and even
an expensive marine block ('pulley') will eventually stop operating
without maintenance, to say nothing of somebody getting beaned by the
weights.

I would recommend a screen door spring at each place you fasten to a tree.
Go to a hardware store and find the biggest, beefiest screen door springs
that you can and then give them several coats of paint for rust
prevention.

I've been using this method for a 140 foot dipole (made from 14 gauge
insulated wire) attached to a pine tree at one end and a Norway maple at
the other end; its been up continuously since 1996.

tree - screw eye (or hook) - rope - spring - rope - end insulator -
antenna wire

Good luck!