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Re: [TowerTalk] How to support a large loop?

To: "Tower and HF antenna construction topics." <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] How to support a large loop?
From: "Jim Brown" <jim@audiosystemsgroup.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:33:43 -0700
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
On Tue, 21 Sep 2010 11:01:48 -0600, W4ZW wrote:

>I just received my 1000 spool of flex-weave

My antennas are mostly up 100-120 ft in redwoods, douglas fir, 
and madrones. I have had multiple failures of flex-weave in 
antennas hung in trees and hung from towers. Indeed, virtually 
every antenna I have ever built with flex-weave has failed 
mechanically at points of connection. 

Your situation will put a LOT of stress on a wire antenna when 
the wind blows. Anything but the most robust antenna 
construction and components WILL fail. It is also CRITICAL that 
you rig a moving weight on one end of every span. Any wire 
without that moving weight (or other suitable tensioning device) 
will eventually fail, and probably in the first good storm.

My favorite antenna wire for this sort of use is ordinary #10 
THHN house wire or solid bare #8 copper. There are several good 
ways to rig weights. Some guys have used window weights. I use a 
6.5 gal water jug filled with dry sand, which works out to about 
95 lbs. 

Take a look at my webpage for some specific suggestions on 
hardware for wire antennas. See the pdf on Antennas for Limited 
Space. 

http://audiosystemsgroup.com/publish.htm 

73, Jim K9YC


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