I want to build a long wire antenna for AM use, and run it from the
peak of my house to the peak of my barn. That will give me about 120
feet of antenna running basically north/south. I've never done this
before, so I'm looking for advice. I know enough to use ceramic eggs to
string the antenna ends, but how do I terminate the ends so that 1) the
end at the barn supports the tension; and 2) the end at the house
supports the tension and allows a connection to the radio? Also, how do
I connect a lightning arrestor to the antenna and how do I properly
connect the coax to the antenna?

Sorry if these are very basic questions, but I'm just starting out at
this.

TIA

Michael

"Michael" wrote in message
ups.com...
I want to build a long wire antenna for AM use, and run it from the
peak of my house to the peak of my barn. That will give me about 120
feet of antenna running basically north/south. I've never done this
before, so I'm looking for advice. I know enough to use ceramic eggs to
string the antenna ends, but how do I terminate the ends so that 1) the
end at the barn supports the tension; and 2) the end at the house
supports the tension and allows a connection to the radio? Also, how do
I connect a lightning arrestor to the antenna and how do I properly
connect the coax to the antenna?

What you'll want to do is provide some sort of counterwieght and pulley
system to provide wind strain relief. At each end is great, but you'll want
to do it to at least one end. Run the support rope at the end of the
antenna through a pulley mounted at the peak of the roof. Attach the rope
to some sort of wieght, like a couple of bricks or a sandbag. You'll
probably want to run the rope through an eye at the top of a pole first and
attach the wieght at the bottom. This will keep the wieght from swinging
around in the wind and will allow it to slide up & down. This keeps strong
winds from breaking your wire antenna.

At the far end of the antenna, simply wrap the wire through one hole of the
insulator and if it's stiff copper-clad steel wire wrap it back around
itself. If you're using more flexible insulated copper stranded wire, it's
OK to tie it around the insulator.

At the near end, you will want to do the same thing. Attach the support
rope to the peak of the roof while leaving a long wire downlead hanging down
from the insulator. You can either bring the downlead all the way into the
shack and feed your receiver this way, or else attach it to the center
conductor of the coax at the base of the house, while attaching the shield
braid to a suitable ground. You can either connect direct to the coax or
use a spare SO-239 jack. Be sure to weatherproof the coax connection. Then
just run the coax in to your receiver.

--
Tom Sevart N2UHC
Frontenac, KS
http://www.geocities.com/n2uhc

Use 23 g steel wire (available at any hardware store). If
weight-tensioned properly it'll stand up to anything.

On 24 Jan 2005 21:33:17 -0800, "Michael" wrote:

I want to build a long wire antenna for AM use, and run it from the
peak of my house to the peak of my barn. That will give me about 120
feet of antenna running basically north/south. I've never done this
before, so I'm looking for advice. I know enough to use ceramic eggs to
string the antenna ends, but how do I terminate the ends so that 1) the
end at the barn supports the tension; and 2) the end at the house
supports the tension and allows a connection to the radio? Also, how do
I connect a lightning arrestor to the antenna and how do I properly
connect the coax to the antenna?

Sorry if these are very basic questions, but I'm just starting out at
this.

TIA

Michael

I think with a thick wire like that you pick up a lot of weight and
windload with virtually no electrical advantage. The nice thing about
steel is that it has much higher fatigue resistance. I built one once
in the San Sevaine and it withstood 3 days of sustained hurricane
force winds with no ill effects. 120 deet. House to eucalyptus tree
with a glass gallon jug full of water for the tensioner weight.

On Tue, 25 Jan 2005 10:05:31 -0500, beerbarrel
wrote:

On Tue, 25 Jan 2005 14:43:38 GMT, David wrote:

Use 23 g steel wire (available at any hardware store). If
weight-tensioned properly it'll stand up to anything.

On 24 Jan 2005 21:33:17 -0800, "Michael" wrote:

I want to build a long wire antenna for AM use, and run it from the
peak of my house to the peak of my barn. That will give me about 120
feet of antenna running basically north/south. I've never done this
before, so I'm looking for advice. I know enough to use ceramic eggs to
string the antenna ends, but how do I terminate the ends so that 1) the
end at the barn supports the tension; and 2) the end at the house
supports the tension and allows a connection to the radio? Also, how do
I connect a lightning arrestor to the antenna and how do I properly
connect the coax to the antenna?

Sorry if these are very basic questions, but I'm just starting out at
this.

TIA

Michael




mount insulators on both ends. Tie one end off with a short piece of
rope to your house. Mount a small pulley on the other end at the fixed
location i.e.the barn. Tie another piece of rope on that end and
thread it through the pulley. Tie a bucket onto the rope and add some
weight to it. That will keep tension on the antenna while allowing it
to move somewhat. I used 12 gauge insulated solid copper house wire
between 2 trees in the same configuration. It works great for me.

MICHAEL,

READ - Types of Wire Antenna Insulators and
"How To" Make the Insulator's Eye Wire Wrap Joint
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...e94237dc9fa077

..
WRAPPING THE ANTENNA WIRE THROUGH THE INSULATOR :
Here is the Method / Process that I use to Wrap the Antenna Wire
Through the Eye (Hole) of the Antenna Insulator.
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...e94237dc9fa077

..
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 !"

beerbarrel wrote:

On Tue, 25 Jan 2005 13:29:13 -0500, dxAce wrote:



RHF wrote:

MICHAEL,

READ - Types of Wire Antenna Insulators and
"How To" Make the Insulator's Eye Wire Wrap Joint
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...e94237dc9fa077

.
WRAPPING THE ANTENNA WIRE THROUGH THE INSULATOR :
Here is the Method / Process that I use to Wrap the Antenna Wire
Through the Eye (Hole) of the Antenna Insulator.
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...e94237dc9fa077

Well, you mention I believe, that you run it through the eye of the insulator
twice to distribute the force. I think that may be a fallacy since if the
insulator is going to break at x pounds of force then trying to distribute the
strain through the eye will actually accomplish nothing as it will break no
matter what at x pounds of force. The force itself will still be coming from the
same direction will it not? And simply having two wires, essentially co-located
at the same place for all intents and purposes won't do much to change the
distribution of weight or strain placed on the insulator.

dxAce
Michigan
USA


With that knot, you still just have one single wire going up to the
insulator. It sounds like it might make a pretty good knot that won't
come undone. I ran mine through one time and then twisted about a
foot's worth of wire around the radial in a nice tight coil. So far so
good! Of course, I'm dealing with solid wire and not stranded.

I don't really know about simply using a knot. Everything here is soldered.

dxAce
Michigan
USA

DX ACE,
..
I Am Glad You Asked )
..
The Distribution of the Force that I am referring to is
the 'force' that is being applied to the Antenna Wire
{itself} where it "Bends Around" the Eye of the Insulator.
..
TOO TIGHT :
This 'bend' in the Wire can be Wrapped "Too-Tight:
Causing a 'internal' Strain on the Wire Turn/Wrap and a
Higher Failure Rate of the Wire "in-the-Bend-of the-Wire"
then any other area of the run of the Wire.
..
TOO LOOSE :
This 'bend' in the Wire can be Wrapped "Too-Loose":
Causing a 'movement' of the Wire against the Insulator
around-the-area of the Wire Turn/Wrap and a Higher Failure
Rate of the Wire "in-the-Bend-of the-Wire" then any other
area of the run of the Wire.
..
WHY A DOUBLE LAY OF WIRE :
Using a Double-Lay of the Wire 'Around-the-Bend' usually
prevents the Wire from being "Too-Tight" {Strained} and
provides Twice the Surface and Trickness Area for Wear
if the Wires are "Too-Loose".
..
I hope that this explains the "Why" of 'why' I recommend
a Double Lay of Wire through of the Eye of an Insulator.
..
iane ~ RHF

Beer Barrel,
..
Are you now claiming multiple NewsGroup IDs:
- mII
- Honus
- Evan Platt
- juliedxer
- Stinson

"RHF" wrote in message
oups.com...
Beer Barrel,
.
Are you now claiming multiple NewsGroup IDs:
- mII
- Honus
- Evan Platt
- juliedxer
- Stinson
.
iwtk ~ RHF

What are you talking about?

"Honus" wrote in message
news:4EBJd.10539$Hg6.7623@trnddc09...

"RHF" wrote in message
oups.com...
Beer Barrel,
.
Are you now claiming multiple NewsGroup IDs:
- mII
- Honus
- Evan Platt
- juliedxer
- Stinson
.
iwtk ~ RHF

What are you talking about?

Ah, now I see. I hadn't scrolled all of the way down to the bottom of
queerbarrel's posts. I've got to tell you, if you really think someone as
devoid of intellect and wit as beerbarrel could post in as lucid a fashion
as some of the people on that list, then...oh, screw it. I suspect my
thought would just sail cleanly over some of the heads around here anyway.