Dick wrote:
<< I have a light-duty application that requires non-conductive guys for 6
months....snip... What have you used successfully besides Phillystran? >>
Hi Dick,
I have been using a smaller composite rope having a Kevlar core for strength
and a braided Dacron polyester jacket for sunlight resistance. It is 0.075"
diameter, and easy to tie knots in.
The breaking strength is 500 lb, safe working load (SWL) is 100 lb, and
comes in 200 foot spools for $16 (0.08 cents per foot). I get it from Radio
Works in Portsmouth, VA. (http://www.radioworks.com)
I have had some up for over a year to guy a light duty mast supporting a 2m
beam over my house. No signs of degradation so far. I have friends who have
also used this rope to guy HF verticals for extra protection from wind. I
also use it to make short Prusik loops for grabbing on to tools, coax, and
antennas when hauling them up the tower.
To dress the ends, I first cut the rope with scissors (trusty miniature
Swiss Army knife to the rescue). I then retract the Dacron jacket, exposing
the Kevlar fibers, and cut them off 1/4", using a backward pulling motion
with the scissors to compensate for the fiber spread when completing the
cut. Then, I pull the jacket back over the Kevlar and melt the end shut with
a short burst from a lighter and a pinch of the fingers. This seals the end
without having any Kevlar fibers poking out of it.
Good luck,
--...MARK_N1LO...--
Gloucester, VA
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