Balloon Lifted Antenna
 

I may have posted this before, I don't remember.

I have taken a Helium Balloon and lacquer coated wire, perhaps 100 feet, and
used the balloon to lift the wire. A single balloon, the metallic (Mylar)
kind, was sufficient to lift the wire and its spool. My ability to lift the
wire was limited by two factors:

1. A high tension wire was present in the front of my house:
2. The wind.

PLEASE NOTE, the two items above conspire to make the experiment quite a
dangerous one, as the distance that the wire can be lifted is limited by the
distance to the high tension wire. (whether 110 volts or 3000 volts).

The wind, even moderate, tends to take the wire considerably off a vertical
orientation. Perhaps more balloons would have given the situation a more
significant lift.

IF one were to live in an area without any high tension (110 Volt or the much
greater primary voltages) and had a sufficiently windless day, thereby
succeeding in lifting 100 ft or more of wire, how efficient would this be for
the purposes of receiving shortwave?

In theory, on property of sufficient footage, one could go 100 feet or more
away from the house, use the balloon to lift the wire, tie the balloon off
(actually it could be guyed, limiting its range of motion) with an independent
string or such, then take the wire itself back to the receiving station at the
house. This would produce a slope with the upper end of the slope considerably
off the ground.

Would STATIC be a serious consideration for such an arrangement due to the
exposure to winds?

Just a thought, as I am again at a property with insufficient acreage to
conduct such an experiment.



De Gustibus Non Est Disputandum: -There's no arguing about matters of taste.
Multum in parvo: - Much in little (small but significant)
Sine qua non: -Indispensible part
Non sequitur: -It does not follow
Cogito ergo sum: - I think therefore I am.
Nota bene: - Note well
Tabula rasa: - Clean slate

Its (The Dawn Soliloquy) wrote

IF one were to live in an area without any high tension (110 Volt or the
much
greater primary voltages) and had a sufficiently windless day, thereby
succeeding in lifting 100 ft or more of wire, how efficient would this be
for
the purposes of receiving shortwave?

This is the system used in old-timey life-boat hand-cranked
emergency radios - a helium balloon and a box kite (if the balloon crapped
out).



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The Dawn Soliloquy (Its ) writes:
I have taken a Helium Balloon and lacquer coated wire, perhaps 100 feet, and
used the balloon to lift the wire. A single balloon, the metallic (Mylar)
kind, was sufficient to lift the wire and its spool. My ability to lift the
wire was limited by two factors:

1. A high tension wire was present in the front of my house:
2. The wind.

PLEASE NOTE, the two items above conspire to make the experiment quite a
dangerous one, as the distance that the wire can be lifted is limited by the
distance to the high tension wire. (whether 110 volts or 3000 volts).

The wind, even moderate, tends to take the wire considerably off a vertical
orientation. Perhaps more balloons would have given the situation a more
significant lift.

You need a balloon that has more lift for a given amount of drag.
Try hydrogen instead of helium.

IF one were to live in an area without any high tension (110 Volt or the much
greater primary voltages) and had a sufficiently windless day, thereby
succeeding in lifting 100 ft or more of wire, how efficient would this be for
the purposes of receiving shortwave?

Less 60 Hz hum bleeding through? Less mixing of signals in the joints?
Have you noticed either?

Many of the ham radio magazines have had articles on using ballons as
antenna skyhooks for both transmit and receive. A vertical or sloper is a
good antenna and height always helps but if the ground isn't conductive the
antenna will be noisy. Most noise is vertically poarized. I recall one of
the articles had a drawing or picture with a disc about the diameter of the
balloon atttached just below the balloon to stabilize it in the wind. Car
dealers around here (Tulsa) always have some helium ballons up on weekends.
Try seraching www.arrl.net
good luck
hank wd5jfr
Its (The Dawn Soliloquy) wrote in message
...
I may have posted this before, I don't remember.

I have taken a Helium Balloon and lacquer coated wire, perhaps 100 feet,
and
used the balloon to lift the wire. A single balloon, the metallic (Mylar)
kind, was sufficient to lift the wire and its spool. My ability to lift
the
wire was limited by two factors:

1. A high tension wire was present in the front of my house:
2. The wind.

PLEASE NOTE, the two items above conspire to make the experiment quite a
dangerous one, as the distance that the wire can be lifted is limited by
the
distance to the high tension wire. (whether 110 volts or 3000 volts).

The wind, even moderate, tends to take the wire considerably off a
vertical
orientation. Perhaps more balloons would have given the situation a more
significant lift.

IF one were to live in an area without any high tension (110 Volt or the
much
greater primary voltages) and had a sufficiently windless day, thereby
succeeding in lifting 100 ft or more of wire, how efficient would this be
for
the purposes of receiving shortwave?

In theory, on property of sufficient footage, one could go 100 feet or
more
away from the house, use the balloon to lift the wire, tie the balloon off
(actually it could be guyed, limiting its range of motion) with an
independent
string or such, then take the wire itself back to the receiving station at
the
house. This would produce a slope with the upper end of the slope
considerably
off the ground.

Would STATIC be a serious consideration for such an arrangement due to the
exposure to winds?

Just a thought, as I am again at a property with insufficient acreage to
conduct such an experiment.



De Gustibus Non Est Disputandum: -There's no arguing about matters of
taste.
Multum in parvo: - Much in little (small but significant)
Sine qua non: -Indispensible part
Non sequitur: -It does not follow
Cogito ergo sum: - I think therefore I am.
Nota bene: - Note well
Tabula rasa: - Clean slate

On Sun, 06 Jul 2003 20:46:13 GMT, Its (The Dawn
Soliloquy) wrote:

Thank you for your courteous and loquacious response.

Hopefully I can point you to Google someday rather than attempt to offer
actual comments. Half (or more) of the responses offered on this group can be
found by a cursory examination of some search engine. I have researched, using
search engines, many answers that I have adduced on this and other groups.
Nevertheless, I don't simply point them to the engine itself.

Thanks again. If I ever see your car broken down along the highway, I'll be
sure to remind you of AAA.

Well said.

-fb-

Its (The Dawn Soliloquy) wrote in
:

Thank you for your courteous and loquacious response.

Hopefully I can point you to Google someday rather than attempt to
offer actual comments. Half (or more) of the responses offered on this
group can be found by a cursory examination of some search engine. I
have researched, using search engines, many answers that I have
adduced on this and other groups. Nevertheless, I don't simply point
them to the engine itself.

Thanks again. If I ever see your car broken down along the highway,
I'll be sure to remind you of AAA.

Regards.



In article , donut
wrote:

I may have posted this before, I don't remember.

I have taken a Helium Balloon and lacquer coated wire, perhaps 100
feet, and used the balloon to lift the wire. A single balloon, the
metallic (Mylar) kind, was sufficient to lift the wire and its
spool. My ability to lift the wire was limited by two factors:


There are plenty of articles on the WWW about balloon and kite lifted
antennas. Use Google and find some of them.

Never say never.
Nothing is absolute.


Top poster too, eh?

Its (The Dawn Soliloquy) wrote in message
...
I may have posted this before, I don't remember.

I have taken a Helium Balloon and lacquer coated wire, perhaps 100 feet,
and
used the balloon to lift the wire. A single balloon, the metallic (Mylar)
kind, was sufficient to lift the wire and its spool. My ability to lift
the
wire was limited by two factors:

What you are doing we've been doing for years using 256' of wire and a 7'
miniature zeppelin weather balloon for use on 160 meters.

It's bad enough that he's very near high voltage lines. Playing with
hydrogen can be pretty damn dangerous. I hope this guy a very careful!

--
Brian Denley
http://home.comcast.net/~b.denley/index.html
"Maximo Lachman" wrote in message
...

You need a balloon that has more lift for a given amount of drag.
Try hydrogen instead of helium.

IF one were to live in an area without any high tension (110 Volt or the
much
greater primary voltages) and had a sufficiently windless day, thereby
succeeding in lifting 100 ft or more of wire, how efficient would this
be for
the purposes of receiving shortwave?

I've thought about this idea a few times and have never tried it.
Try packing up everything that you would need and take a trip to a large
open field on a calm day. Guying the balloon isn't out of the question, just
more planning and work. And come to think about it, breezes are less
predictable come nightfall, when SW is most active.
Several balloons tied together might be handy.
Once you try it out, post the results here!
It would also be interesting to have a "control" radio at the same location
to compare signals received from a modest antenna versus the balloon
suspended long wire.



Its (The Dawn Soliloquy) wrote in message
...
I may have posted this before, I don't remember.

I have taken a Helium Balloon and lacquer coated wire, perhaps 100 feet,
and
used the balloon to lift the wire. A single balloon, the metallic (Mylar)
kind, was sufficient to lift the wire and its spool. My ability to lift
the
wire was limited by two factors:

1. A high tension wire was present in the front of my house:
2. The wind.

PLEASE NOTE, the two items above conspire to make the experiment quite a
dangerous one, as the distance that the wire can be lifted is limited by
the
distance to the high tension wire. (whether 110 volts or 3000 volts).

The wind, even moderate, tends to take the wire considerably off a
vertical
orientation. Perhaps more balloons would have given the situation a more
significant lift.

IF one were to live in an area without any high tension (110 Volt or the
much
greater primary voltages) and had a sufficiently windless day, thereby
succeeding in lifting 100 ft or more of wire, how efficient would this be
for
the purposes of receiving shortwave?

In theory, on property of sufficient footage, one could go 100 feet or
more
away from the house, use the balloon to lift the wire, tie the balloon off
(actually it could be guyed, limiting its range of motion) with an
independent
string or such, then take the wire itself back to the receiving station at
the
house. This would produce a slope with the upper end of the slope
considerably
off the ground.

Would STATIC be a serious consideration for such an arrangement due to the
exposure to winds?

Just a thought, as I am again at a property with insufficient acreage to
conduct such an experiment.



De Gustibus Non Est Disputandum: -There's no arguing about matters of
taste.
Multum in parvo: - Much in little (small but significant)
Sine qua non: -Indispensible part
Non sequitur: -It does not follow
Cogito ergo sum: - I think therefore I am.
Nota bene: - Note well
Tabula rasa: - Clean slate

Guying the balloon isn't out of the question, just more planning and work.


Take one or more of those screw-in ground anchors used for mobilehome
tie-downs. I've seen them in two sizes. And take an insulator and something
with which to tie the insulator to the anchor.

Remove the paint and they could be used as the ground side of your system. Be
sure to take something to slip through the eye for use as a T-handle.

Just don't do the Ben Franklin number. Note that if there is a lot of "static
in the air," you may want something with which to protect the front end of your
receiver. Take a voltmeter and check the voltage between the antenna and ground
(anchor) before connecting.

I'm getting to sound like Arne...

73,
Bill, K5BY