[Elecraft] RF in the Trees [OT]

[KB9WMJ at wi.rr.com]

One of my Elmers showed me another way.

Purposley choose the twig ends of the branch of a huge tree.  Use this as 
your center of the dipole, or whatever.  Blow a line all the way over the 
tree, and attach it to something other than the tree.  Pull up the antenna, 
and leave rope line going down from the center point.  Once you get the 
center where you want it, tie the dangling rope to something solid, like a 
Land Anchor.  Pull the other side and tie it down to something solid as 
well, like another Land Anchor, or even the base of another tree.

Now your center point is suspended towards the outside of a tree branch, and 
will not move up and down, as you have it anchored from above, and below 
even when the wind blows.  Use the ends of the antenna to stop the antenna 
from moving side to side.  The trick is not allowing the centerpoint to 
twist before you get the ends stretched out.

Keith
KB9WMJ



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred Townsend" <fptownsend at earthlink.net>
To: "Doug Person" <k0dxv at aol.com>; <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2014 12:19 AM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] RF in the Trees [OT]


Hi Doug:
I use a similar technique in suspending my antennas. I thought I would add 
some do's and don'ts. Like don't forget copper will stretch. I use 1 gallon 
paint buckets full of dirt for about 10# of weight on the pulleys. I suspend 
the rope in a tree yoke or a limb close to the trunk to minimize sway. Be 
sure there is pleanty of travel for wind storms.

The ends of the antenna are 'hotter' than the feed point so I like to clear 
the end of the antenna and the tree with at least 8' of rope. If I have a 
middle support I use a yard arm of at least 4'. If you are using an antenna 
like a G5RV, Windom, or zepp that uses a portion of the feed line as a 
match, don't forget that portion will be radiating too so keep it vertical 
and away from the tree.

I have found pine and eucalyptus trees to be the worst for parasitic 
absorption but I think that is largely a function of the volume of sap and 
water so the wetter the more loss and the further away you want to keep the 
antenna.


73,
Fred, AE6QL