You might try tying strips of white cloth at intervals along the radials. That
way, the deer can at least see them.
73,
Kim N5OP
"People that make music together cannot be enemies, at least as long as the
music lasts." -- Paul Hindemith
> On Nov 11, 2017, at 11:57, Mike Smith VE9AA <ve9aa@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote:
>
> I just spent the last 2 hours out in the woods during antenna season (ie:
> blustery wind, subzero cold, ice to slip on but no leaves on the trees)
>
>
>
> What was I doing you say? … Repairing 26 out of my 28 raised radials on all
> my wire 4-sq arrays in prep for contest season. Only one wire itself was
> broken (I use fencing wire) but all the ends that attach to supports were
> broken.
>
>
>
> I accept Mother Natures wrath with some of my radials being broken due to
> swaying trees and falling widow-makers and don’t give it a second thought…
> It’s almost a ritual just to do the yearly repairs. HOWEVER the friggin’
> deer here are relentless ! It’s no exaggeration to say we generally go no
> more than 1 or 2 days w/o seeing deer either in the back 40 or crossing the
> road near our house. Two have been hit within 100’ of my driveway this fall
> alone.
>
>
>
> I found radials up and over trees, going in the wrong directions, down under
> big rocks and one was wrapped around a tree twice!.....at one point when I
> got to the end of a particular 80m radial I thought for sure I’d find a dead
> deer at the end – LOL….but he must have finally got away….or maybe the
> cougar that was reported here 2 months ago got him.
>
>
>
> Last year when I installed all these 4-squares I got the (not so) bright
> idea I would use that oiled hemp string to go between the ends of the
> radials and the nearest tree. Well…..it was true….hemp is aesthetically
> pleasing (can’t see it from the house_) but definitely not deer proof.
> There was a radial here and there, which even had old limbs of trees on them
> where the hemp was NOT broken, so I can only imagine the deer chew on the
> stuff or something – HI !
>
>
>
> I have 2 repairs still left to do (the most difficult) where the (wire)
> verticals themselves came down.(Mother Nature, not deer) One of the 160m
> ones is always tough to get up over a couple trees and I don’t look forward
> to the task. For now, I have repaired all the radials with more hemp, but
> am contemplating doubling them up with 40lb test fishing line. I don’t
> really want to go to ¼” nylon as I could see it from the house and road.
>
>
>
> I really don’t want to raise them up from the 4-5’ they are all at now to
> something higher as I’ll have to reengineering all the coax phasing lines
> and the locations of the bases of all the verticals, re-tweak all the SWR’s
> etc.
>
>
>
> I guess I just like to complain ;-)………
>
>
>
> It could be worse….I COULD be living in downtown Vancouver or NYC or London
> with no land and no trees.
>
>
>
> Thank God for New Brunswick, Canada and our wonderful trees !
>
>
>
> At this time of year, besides fallen wires and trees, we should also
> remember the fallen in the World Wars so that we all can enjoy the life we
> lead today.
>
>
>
> For now I’ve put on a fresh warm hoodie, (Ironic that it says “Newfoundland
> & Labrador”, not “New Brunswick”), brewed a cup of Tim Hortons coffee and am
> thankful for what I do have.
>
>
>
> Mike VE9 Arborist Arborist !
>
> p.s.-can’t/won’t do ground radials….steep incline in the woods on the side
> of an old farm field, so it’s rocky, covered in leaves and the deer hooves
> would get caught up in them anyways.
>
>
>
> Mike, Coreen & Corey
>
> Keswick Ridge, NB
>
>
>
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>
>
>
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