[Elecraft] Antenna wire question for long spans

[Trevor Day]

In message <1155872284.44e5361c7346f at webmail.birch.net>, n0evh 
<n0evh at birch.net> writes
>I have an opportunity to put up an end fed long wire at our EOC for use on 40,
>80 and 160.  The span distance is 270 feet, a real handy length for regional
>communication on low bands.  Height will be about 65 feet.  We will tune it
>remotely with an SGC tuner.  My concern is what type of wire will take that
>long of a span and hold up to wind and ice we have here in the midwest.
>
>Would appreciate comments from those who have had long spans of wire up in the
>air.
>
>John N0EVH (Every Volt Helps)

I used to run exactly that configuration throughout the 70's.  Not much 
in the way of ice to worry about but plenty of wind.  I used Hard drawn 
stranded copper which was available from Radio Shack in 50 or 100ft 
lengths, I can't recall which.  A single run with a bit of slack to 
compensate for tree movement.  It ran NW/SE favouring the USA off one 
end and put out a cracking signal on 20m, I wish I still had it!

The only problem I ever had was due to an irate neighbour.  One morning 
I found my antenna in neat 1 foot lengths stacked at the bottom of my 
garden  :-)

Trev G3ZYY
-- 
Trevor Day
UKSMG #217
www.uksmg.org