Topband
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: Topband: tennis ball launcher for antennas

To: Grant Saviers <grants2@pacbell.net>
Subject: Re: Topband: tennis ball launcher for antennas
From: Mike - W5JR <w5jr.lists@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2018 14:03:03 -0500
List-post: <mailto:topband@contesting.com>
+1 on the Ryobi hand held inflator. Much better than carrying a small air tank 
or heavy/bulky jump start kit. Makes easy and quick work of pressurizing the 
spud gun. 

tnx
Mike / W5JR
Alpharetta GA


> On Nov 28, 2018, at 7:00 PM, Grant Saviers <grants2@pacbell.net> wrote:
> 
> I'll second the success with the CSV19 tennis ball launcher.  You won't need 
> the top model for 60' trees but I do recommend the fishing archery spool 
> option for paying out the line - very smooth and snag free.  The PE braid is 
> so light that one problem is how far the wind drift will take it. Shoot with 
> the wind if you can. Beats every other method I've seen other than a tree 
> climber.  If you buy the kit carefully RTFM.  The tennis ball is weighted 
> with about a dozen pennies so comes down thru firs easily.
> 
> Be careful, the weighted ball energy is dangerous. Handle with firearm rules. 
>  Also the recoil requires aiming & flinch control like a larger bore handgun.
> 
> A really nifty accessory is the Ryobi 18v battery powered hand held inflater, 
> especially if you have Ryobi tools.  It makes quick work of pressurizing in 
> the field.  $19 last I saw at HD.
> 
> Grant KZ1W
> 
>> On 11/28/2018 15:34 PM, Wayne Kline wrote:
>> Terry.
>> I never used one of those pneumatic air launchers….. following your link  
>> looks  like a great option.
>> In the past I have used a bow and arrow wit the bow having a Zebco spin cat 
>> real  attached. But was limited because  I have a 1000 ft road frontage tree 
>> line and arrows  descending can be a problem.
>> I  ran across a wrist rocket which uses a tennis ball … I  got a few hand 
>> balls  seemed to work better falling through the tree branches and have been 
>> using  it in that configuration for a while.
>> My trees are not in the 100ft range but more in the 50/60 ft
>> YMMV
>> Wayne W3EA
>> Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows 10
>> ________________________________
>> From: Topband <topband-bounces@contesting.com> on behalf of terry burge 
>> <ki7m@comcast.net>
>> Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2018 6:04:10 PM
>> To: topband@contesting.com; terry burge
>> Subject: Topband: tennis ball launcher for antennas
>> Sometime back I bought one of those cheaper launchers that shot a 1-1.5 oz. 
>> fishing weight with fishing line attached. It was scary because if that 
>> fishing weight hit something other that the ground or the fish line broke 
>> you never knew where that thing was going to land.
>> I now have a CSV19 Pneumatic Antenna Launching System like you can see at 
>> www.antennalaunchers.com/csv19/index.html<http://www.antennalaunchers.com/csv19/index.html>.
>>  I have used it with a lot of success and have seen it send a tennis ball 
>> over a 105' fir tree about half again as high. I think with the max 80# of 
>> pressure (think that is what the max is labeled)  can get a woven fish line 
>> over a tree at least 160' tall. 100+ feet for sure. The big thing is to have 
>> a lot of fish line on the fishing real and don't forget to open the bail. If 
>> you start breaking lines and try splicing them together that can be a 
>> problem catching on the reel spool. The new woven fish lines are even 
>> smaller and I think lighter than monofilament. Can't remember how many times 
>> I've had to search for the tennis ball because the 30-40# fishing line 
>> broke. Even have one on my third guy line up on my tower.
>> Wind can sometimes be a problem of course. Was really a problem with the 
>> first launcher using that in Keizer (in town). Hitting right above the top 
>> of a tall fir tree as a target you would be surprised just how far off one 
>> can go.
>> Terry
>> KI7M
>> _________________
>> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
>> _________________
>> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
> _________________
> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
_________________
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>