Bungee cords and sunlight don't get along. Works if you replace often
enough. A pulley and weight are better.

"Michael Lawson" wrote in message
.. .
Over the next week or so I'm planning on doing some
tweaking to my random wire antenna outside, and
I came across something on either the net or in a book
that recommended bungee cord for an outside antenna
to relieve the slack during wind gusts. I was planning
on just keeping a standard poly rope, but I was wondering
what the group thought of the idea of a bungee cord.

--Mike L.

Something else to beware of is plastic at the connectors. I got a
dipole some time back that had each side of the dipole and the connector
attached to a piece of plastic. In about two years the plastic had
cracked, and broken losing one half the dipole. I continued to RECEIVE
ONLY on the half that was left. Now the whole thing is down! I suppose
I'll have to put up another antenna of my own some time in the future.
There'll be no plastic exposed to sunlight.

==========

CW wrote:

Bungee cords and sunlight don't get along. Works if you replace often
enough. A pulley and weight are better.

"Michael Lawson" wrote in message
.. .

Over the next week or so I'm planning on doing some
tweaking to my random wire antenna outside, and
I came across something on either the net or in a book
that recommended bungee cord for an outside antenna
to relieve the slack during wind gusts. I was planning
on just keeping a standard poly rope, but I was wondering
what the group thought of the idea of a bungee cord.

--Mike L.

Something else to beware of is plastic at the connectors. I got a
dipole some time back that had each side of the dipole and the connector
attached to a piece of plastic. In about two years the plastic had
cracked, and broken losing one half the dipole. I continued to RECEIVE
ONLY on the half that was left. Now the whole thing is down! I suppose
I'll have to put up another antenna of my own some time in the future.

So how long does it take to change an insulator? Is this a multi day task?

jw
k9rzz

AP.
..
Next time try these types of Wire Antenna Insulators :
..
"Dog Bone" Ceramic - Antenna Wire End Insulators
http://www.wavehunter.com/cerins.htm
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/antsup/3250.html
http://www.durhamradio.com/s/custome...at=1749&page=1

These Glazed Ceramic Insulators will hold-up for Years and
Do NOT Fail due to Exposure to Direct UV Sun Light like many
low cost and poor quality plasitcs.
..
Van Gorden "Dog-Bone" End-Insulators
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/antsup/2379.html
..
Ceramic "Stain" {Egg} Insulators
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/antsup/1868.html
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/antsup/2794.html
http://www.durhamradio.com/s/custome...at=1749&page=1

http://www.durhamradio.com/s/custome...at=1749&page=2

These Ceramic "Strain" Insulators have a Compression Strain
feature built into them; and if the Ceramic should fail the
wires are inter-linked to act as a safety back-up.
[ This is my 'choice' for Wire Antenna End Insulators. ]
..
Budwig HQ-2 Antenna End Insulator
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/antsup/3412.html
Made of ABS Copolymer, 35% Glass Filled.
They are UV Resistant and Weatherproof.
..
CIN Alpha Delta End Insulators
http://www.durhamradio.com/s/custome...at=1749&page=1

..
Van Gorden HI-Q End-Insulators
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/antsup/2873.html
http://www.unadilla.com/endsulators.htm
http://www.durhamradio.com/s/custome...at=1749&page=2

..
Assorted Antenna Wire & Insulators
http://www.surplussales.com/Antennas/Antennas-9.html
http://www.radioworks.com/cinsul.html
..
3 1/2 " Wood Screw Standoffs With Insulators
RadioShack Catalog # 15-853
If you are using 300 Ohm TV type Twin Lead for a Wire Antenna
Element these can work well for direct mounting to a build or
structure.
http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...ct%5Fid=15-853

..
..
WRAPPING THE ANTENNA WIRE THROUGH THE INSULATOR :
Her is the Method / Process that I use to Wrap the Antenna Wire
Through the Eye (Hole) of the Antenna Insulator.
..
Fold over One Foot of Antenna Wire at the End going into the
Eye of the Insulator.
..
Run/Route the Folded-Wire-End through the Eye of the Insulator
leaving about Three Inchs outside / unused Main Antenna Wire exposed.
..
Pass the Folded-Wire-End through the Eye of the Insulator a
Second Time and Snug-it-Up to lay with the Main Antenna Wire.
..
Take the Single Tag-end of the Antenna Wire an place it
Perpendicular (90*) to the Main Antenna Wire.
..
Take the Folded-Wire-End (Two Wires) and the Main Antenna Wire
(One Wire) and TWIST all Three Wires together Counter-Clock-Wise
(CCW) like you are forming a Western Ubion Splice. Do this
until all of the Folded-Wire-End is used up in the Twist.
..
Now take the Single Tag-End Wire (One Wire) and Tightly and
Closely OVER-WRAP it Clock-Wise (CW) Around the Three Twisted Wires.
Do this until all of the Tag-End Wire is used up in the Wrap.
..
RESULT - You have Four Wires (2x2) in the Eye of the Insulator
to Distribute the Force and Ware place on it; and Gives it a
Double Bite. The CCW Twisting of the Three Wires and then CW
Over Wraping of the Single Wire Mechanically LOCK the Four Wires
into a Solid Joint.
..
..
iane ~ RHF
..
All are WELCOME at the Shortwave Listener (SWL) "Antenna Ashram"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/
..
Some Say: On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/502
..
I BELIEVE: On A Clear Night . . .
You Can Hear Forever and Beyond, The BEYOND !
With a Shortwave Listener SWL Antenna of your own making.
"If You Build It {SWL Antenna} You Will Hear Them !"

I just use black UV rated Ty-Wraps.

On 14 Jan 2005 03:08:23 -0800, "RHF"
wrote:

AP.
.
Next time try these types of Wire Antenna Insulators :
.
"Dog Bone" Ceramic - Antenna Wire End Insulators
http://www.wavehunter.com/cerins.htm
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/antsup/3250.html
http://www.durhamradio.com/s/custome...at=1749&page=1

These Glazed Ceramic Insulators will hold-up for Years and
Do NOT Fail due to Exposure to Direct UV Sun Light like many
low cost and poor quality plasitcs.
.
Van Gorden "Dog-Bone" End-Insulators
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/antsup/2379.html
.
Ceramic "Stain" {Egg} Insulators
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/antsup/1868.html
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/antsup/2794.html
http://www.durhamradio.com/s/custome...at=1749&page=1

http://www.durhamradio.com/s/custome...at=1749&page=2

These Ceramic "Strain" Insulators have a Compression Strain
feature built into them; and if the Ceramic should fail the
wires are inter-linked to act as a safety back-up.
[ This is my 'choice' for Wire Antenna End Insulators. ]
.
Budwig HQ-2 Antenna End Insulator
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/antsup/3412.html
Made of ABS Copolymer, 35% Glass Filled.
They are UV Resistant and Weatherproof.
.
CIN Alpha Delta End Insulators
http://www.durhamradio.com/s/custome...at=1749&page=1

.
Van Gorden HI-Q End-Insulators
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/antsup/2873.html
http://www.unadilla.com/endsulators.htm
http://www.durhamradio.com/s/custome...at=1749&page=2

.
Assorted Antenna Wire & Insulators
http://www.surplussales.com/Antennas/Antennas-9.html
http://www.radioworks.com/cinsul.html
.
3 1/2 " Wood Screw Standoffs With Insulators
RadioShack Catalog # 15-853
If you are using 300 Ohm TV type Twin Lead for a Wire Antenna
Element these can work well for direct mounting to a build or
structure.
http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...ct%5Fid=15-853

.
.
WRAPPING THE ANTENNA WIRE THROUGH THE INSULATOR :
Her is the Method / Process that I use to Wrap the Antenna Wire
Through the Eye (Hole) of the Antenna Insulator.
.
Fold over One Foot of Antenna Wire at the End going into the
Eye of the Insulator.
.
Run/Route the Folded-Wire-End through the Eye of the Insulator
leaving about Three Inchs outside / unused Main Antenna Wire exposed.
.
Pass the Folded-Wire-End through the Eye of the Insulator a
Second Time and Snug-it-Up to lay with the Main Antenna Wire.
.
Take the Single Tag-end of the Antenna Wire an place it
Perpendicular (90*) to the Main Antenna Wire.
.
Take the Folded-Wire-End (Two Wires) and the Main Antenna Wire
(One Wire) and TWIST all Three Wires together Counter-Clock-Wise
(CCW) like you are forming a Western Ubion Splice. Do this
until all of the Folded-Wire-End is used up in the Twist.
.
Now take the Single Tag-End Wire (One Wire) and Tightly and
Closely OVER-WRAP it Clock-Wise (CW) Around the Three Twisted Wires.
Do this until all of the Tag-End Wire is used up in the Wrap.
.
RESULT - You have Four Wires (2x2) in the Eye of the Insulator
to Distribute the Force and Ware place on it; and Gives it a
Double Bite. The CCW Twisting of the Three Wires and then CW
Over Wraping of the Single Wire Mechanically LOCK the Four Wires
into a Solid Joint.
.
.
iane ~ RHF
.
All are WELCOME at the Shortwave Listener (SWL) "Antenna Ashram"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/
.
Some Say: On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/502
.
I BELIEVE: On A Clear Night . . .
You Can Hear Forever and Beyond, The BEYOND !
With a Shortwave Listener SWL Antenna of your own making.
"If You Build It {SWL Antenna} You Will Hear Them !"
.
.

So please tell me, how many S units improvement will one notice using a high
quality ceramic insulator for shortwave reception, over just tying the wire to
the support rope?

jw
k9rzz

K9RZZ - Sounds like you aleady know the answer.
Care to share it with us ;-)

The general theme of this thread was a Mechanical Failure of 'cheap'
plasitic Antenna Insulators; and better replacements for them.

But as you point out - If you use a quality Plastic 'type' Rope and
"Tie" the Rope and Antenna Wire together - That will work also )

Doubling Over (Double Lay) and Twist together about Eight Inches of
the Antenna Wire and a Single Lay of Rope usually works well for a
"Secure and Lasting" Knot between the two pieces.
iane ~ RHF

In article ,
(J999w) wrote:

So please tell me, how many S units improvement will one notice using a high
quality ceramic insulator for shortwave reception, over just tying the wire to
the support rope?

Oh that's easy to calculate. You get a S unit For every $ you spend on a
ceramic insulator.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

TELAMON - Then I Be Reading S-9 + 20 dB$ ;-} ~ RHF

In article . com,
"RHF" wrote:

TELAMON - Then I Be Reading S-9 + 20 dB$ ;-} ~ RHF
.

Yeah, you are S-9 +20 dB here. That's how the S to $ conversion works.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California