Portable Wire Antenna Weight

[stan levandowski]

Here's something I 'invented' yesterday.  I'd like to think it's an
original idea but I cannot imagine it hasn't been done time and again by
others.  But since I've never seen it written anywhere let me describe
it here.  It might help someone.

1 golf ball (from your golf bag)
1 small screweye (from your workshop junkbox)
1 small snap swivel  (from your tackle box)
1 small length of 8 lb. monofilament (from your reel)

Predrill an undersized hole about 1/4" into the golf ball.  Screw in the
screweye.  Tie the monofilament to the sreweye with the standard
fisherman's knot.  Tie the other end of this six to eight inch
monofilament to the snap swivel and then clip the snap swivel to a loop
at the end of your wire antenna.  You could also solder a ring connector
to the end of the antenna wire for the snap swivel.

Now throw the golf ball up into the tree.  Nine times out of ten you can
pull the wire out intact.  If it manages to get hung up in a branch "V"
one day, the mono will break before you exert enough force to break or
damage the wire.  The golf ball falls to the ground, the antenna is
easily retrieved and all you have to do is replace the short piece of
mono and you are back in business.

Golf balls are nice and heavy and can travel pretty far on a throw.

Stan WB2LQF
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[Terry Schieler]

Stan,

Great suggestion.  However, I would need to use a borrowed golf ball as mine would find WATER even in the high desert.

73,

Terry, W0FM



-----Original Message-----
From: stan levandowski [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Friday, June 17, 2011 10:17 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] Portable Wire Antenna Weight

Here's something I 'invented' yesterday.  I'd like to think it's an
original idea but I cannot imagine it hasn't been done time and again by
others.  But since I've never seen it written anywhere let me describe
it here.  It might help someone.

1 golf ball (from your golf bag)
1 small screweye (from your workshop junkbox)
1 small snap swivel  (from your tackle box)
1 small length of 8 lb. monofilament (from your reel)

Predrill an undersized hole about 1/4" into the golf ball.  Screw in the
screweye.  Tie the monofilament to the sreweye with the standard
fisherman's knot.  Tie the other end of this six to eight inch
monofilament to the snap swivel and then clip the snap swivel to a loop
at the end of your wire antenna.  You could also solder a ring connector
to the end of the antenna wire for the snap swivel.

Now throw the golf ball up into the tree.  Nine times out of ten you can
pull the wire out intact.  If it manages to get hung up in a branch "V"
one day, the mono will break before you exert enough force to break or
damage the wire.  The golf ball falls to the ground, the antenna is
easily retrieved and all you have to do is replace the short piece of
mono and you are back in business.

Golf balls are nice and heavy and can travel pretty far on a throw.

Stan WB2LQF


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[Gary Gregory]

Once upon a time there was a HAM who thought a nearby tree would make a
great anchor point for a wire antenna. Careful searching revealed no obvious
object to attach to the rope, so being inventive he grabbed his wife's small
ball pion hammer and tied it to the antenna.

A big swing of the arm followed by a nice release saw the hammer sail up to
the tree. Now I am not calling the tre a terrorist, BUT, the tree saw the
hammer coming and batted the hammer away....yep, straight back at the
offending Ham who was last seen diving for cover under a convenient shelter
covered with cloth.

Uh Huh, you guessed it, the hammer went through the covering and attempted
an assault on the Ham diving for cover under the table beneath the cover.

I am still getting ribbed to this day by the XYL who thought the whole event
was worthy of her relaying the story to whomever happens to be around when
the topic of portable antennas get a mention.

The 'knot' on the head is slowly healing...:-(

Gary

On 18 June 2011 02:27, Terry Schieler <[hidden email]>wrote:

> Stan,
>
> Great suggestion.  However, I would need to use a borrowed golf ball as
> mine would find WATER even in the high desert.
>
> 73,
>
> Terry, W0FM
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stan levandowski [mailto:[hidden email]]
> Sent: Friday, June 17, 2011 10:17 AM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: [Elecraft] Portable Wire Antenna Weight
>
> Here's something I 'invented' yesterday.  I'd like to think it's an
> original idea but I cannot imagine it hasn't been done time and again by
> others.  But since I've never seen it written anywhere let me describe
> it here.  It might help someone.
>
> 1 golf ball (from your golf bag)
> 1 small screweye (from your workshop junkbox)
> 1 small snap swivel  (from your tackle box)
> 1 small length of 8 lb. monofilament (from your reel)
>
> Predrill an undersized hole about 1/4" into the golf ball.  Screw in the
> screweye.  Tie the monofilament to the sreweye with the standard
> fisherman's knot.  Tie the other end of this six to eight inch
> monofilament to the snap swivel and then clip the snap swivel to a loop
> at the end of your wire antenna.  You could also solder a ring connector
> to the end of the antenna wire for the snap swivel.
>
> Now throw the golf ball up into the tree.  Nine times out of ten you can
> pull the wire out intact.  If it manages to get hung up in a branch "V"
> one day, the mono will break before you exert enough force to break or
> damage the wire.  The golf ball falls to the ground, the antenna is
> easily retrieved and all you have to do is replace the short piece of
> mono and you are back in business.
>
> Golf balls are nice and heavy and can travel pretty far on a throw.
>
> Stan WB2LQF
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>

--

VK4FD - Motorhome Mobile
Elecraft Equipment
K3 #679, KPA-500 #018
Living the dream!!!
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