Thanks ref - Antenna wire question for long spans

[n0evh]

Wow, I have read this reflector now for about four years.  I always enjoy the
responses given to the many who post needs/questions.  But, when you post one
of your own and get this fabulous reply on the reflector and many others to
your email account...geeze what a great group of hams!

Thanks for the bandwidth and slightly off topic question.  I feel confident we
can hoist a durable antenna at our EOC here in Independence, Missouri.  BTW our
website of activities is here -

http://www.birch.net/~jwatkins/IndependenceRACES.html

73's to all,

John N0EVH K2#2006 and KX1#802

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[John Young-10]

John & others

I am going to go in another direction on wire size for long spans.

I have been using the silky #18 and #26 from the wireman for all my
antennas.  The trick for keeping them
up is to use a Dacron rope for a messenger line that supports the very
light wire.  With the rope strung between
the supports with a lot of slack, I attach small rings of gray PVC
pipe.  A small loop of the rope is pushed through
the ring and then the ring is passed through the loop.  The antenna wire
is hung in the rings with any feed line supported
by the rope.  The wire carries no weight.

When the trees sway in the wind the rope can break.  I just let it, but
force it to break where I want.
I make a loop with about 3 ft of the rope and tie it with a short length
of cotton line.  The cotton being
weaker than the Dacron will break first allowing the loop to add about 3
ft of slack to the antenna.

73 John
WA8KNE


n0evh wrote:

> Wow, I have read this reflector now for about four years.  I always enjoy the
> responses given to the many who post needs/questions.  But, when you post one
> of your own and get this fabulous reply on the reflector and many others to
> your email account...geeze what a great group of hams!
>
> Thanks for the bandwidth and slightly off topic question.  I feel confident we
> can hoist a durable antenna at our EOC here in Independence, Missouri.  BTW our
> website of activities is here -
>
> http://www.birch.net/~jwatkins/IndependenceRACES.html
>
> 73's to all,
>
> John N0EVH K2#2006 and KX1#802
>
> _______________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Post to: [hidden email]
> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
>  http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   
>
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
>  

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[Vin Cortina]

I like the way you think, John.  THAT is engineering.


Vin  KR2F

K1-4 s/n:1977
KX1  s/n:1476





----- Original Message -----
From: "John Young" <[hidden email]>
To: "elecraft list" <[hidden email]>
Sent: Friday, August 18, 2006 1:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Thanks ref - Antenna wire question for long spans

> John & others
>
> I am going to go in another direction on wire size for long spans.
>
> I have been using the silky #18 and #26 from the wireman for all my
> antennas.  The trick for keeping them
> up is to use a Dacron rope for a messenger line that supports the very
> light wire.  With the rope strung between
> the supports with a lot of slack, I attach small rings of gray PVC
> pipe.  A small loop of the rope is pushed through
> the ring and then the ring is passed through the loop.  The antenna wire
> is hung in the rings with any feed line supported
> by the rope.  The wire carries no weight.
>
> When the trees sway in the wind the rope can break.  I just let it, but
> force it to break where I want.
> I make a loop with about 3 ft of the rope and tie it with a short length
> of cotton line.  The cotton being
> weaker than the Dacron will break first allowing the loop to add about 3
> ft of slack to the antenna.
>
> 73 John
> WA8KNE
>

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[Stuart Rohre]

If one is building an antenna for an EOC you do NOT want to use too small a
wire, and its attendant weak breaking strength.

Use no. 14 or larger wire, stranded.  Use heavier duty insulators, good
ceramics or glass if you can get them in place of plastics which deteriorate
in the sun in a short time.  Use good quality tie off lines.  Nylon
stretches, but can be used if you tighten up the stretch or use a spring.
There are compression springs made for electric fence gates.  These are
better than extension springs for antenna work.  You can buy Phillystrand or
other better quality synthetic lines to hold up the insulators on doublets,
that stretch less.

Remember, you do not want your antenna to come down in the storm, or "The
Big One".   Check them on your regular station check outs at the EOC.  They
may mean taking off early from work so you can check the antenna visually in
daylight.  A pair of binoculars is useful to avoid climbing the tower.

Expect to service your antenna twice a year for some storm induced problem.
That has been our experience with a 65 foot tower at Red Cross here.

Stuart
K5KVH


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[Steven Pituch]

Hi Stuart and all,
I would go even thicker on the wire unless copper weld was used. I have had
good success with 10 gauge stranded electrical wiring.   As far as having
the EOC antennas survive the big one, down here in Corpus Christi, which is
the only place on the Gulf Coast not hit by a major storm in 2005 and early
2006, we have EOC teams ready to take the antennas down before landfall and
put them back up after the storm has passed.  At 150 mph plus, we don't
expect any antenna to last a big storm.  In fact, we don't know if the
reinforced building we will be hunkered down in will survive (and people
inside also!).  I asked, as was told that if the third (top) floor begins to
break apart to go down to the second floor.  At that point the first floor
will probably be under water and I won't be worrying about antennas.

Steve, W2MY

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Stuart Rohre

Remember, you do not want your antenna to come down in the storm, or "The
Big One".   Check them on your regular station check outs at the EOC.  

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