[Elecraft] Thanks ref - Antenna wire question for long spans

[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" <jdy at whitney.ufl.edu>
To: "elecraft list" <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
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
>