Once upon a time in Keizer, Oregon I tried using a sling shot. Don't remember
how many times I shot that d**m thing but either I almost took my eye out or
the neighbors window. Never got higher than about 40' up a 105-110' fir tree.
I was launching from the neighbors porch. Gave up on that method and glad I
did. Sling shots can be dangerous. The Max's brothers or the Three Stooges
could have got a lot of inspiration watching me use that sling shot.
Then I tried my 75# bow and fishing arrows. More precise control where things
are going but limited on height. Caught one up on a 90 foot branch and snapped
the line. Didn't tell my neighbors but every day I would check on it.
Eventionally it came down on the roof a their lean to next to the property line
and I used a fiberglass quad poll to retrieve it. Neighbors never knew there
was a weighted arrow over their heads.
A smaller air cannon that used 2 oz. fishing weights could get scary. My
property and both neighbors on each side were about 110' X 103' so there wasn't
a lot of room for errors. A 2 ounce weight coming down on somebody could be a
real bad day for all. Still got the thing but don't do anything with it. And as
usual wind is the enemy along with branches.
Eventionally I spent about $250-300 and bought a good tennis ball launching air
cannon that I have used quiet a few times. Biggest problem is the wind. Doesn't
take much to send the woven 30-40 pound fishing line off course and miss the
top of a fir tree. Even a big fir tree, yes! It uses tennis balls with wires
through them in a loop and some fishing weights inside. Most are 4 ounce but a
couple went up to 6 ounces. It easily went over the105-110' fir tree in Keizer
and now the 90' fir and oak trees out here south of Salem. When I first moved
here I got real busy putting 3/16" black dacron lines over some of the trees.
My 160 meter inv-L goes over an oak tree about 75' up and just starts to come
down on the other side with a loop of the dacron line forming a loop. The air
cannon has a limit of 85 pounds on the pressure gauge and that is usually what
I get near using a bicycle pump. I'm sold on this setup and I can certainly
control it better than any other method I tried for tall trees. Lately I've
been thinking about a couple of fir trees in the 150' plus range that might
give a challenge to my cannon.
Years back for field day the Umpqua Valley Amateur Radio Club operated from one
of the big county fair grounds buildings. My friend Steve, WB7OTR used a
weighted sock to toss a line over one of the wooden rafters about 40' up and we
strung the coax out the roof to an antenna. We did get into a lot of the
portable amplifier systems. Don't think the fair committees ever invited the
club back again! But tossing the sock over a 40' high rafter was something I
could never have done. Steve did it in one try. Go Figure, he had been in the
coast guard.
Terry
KI7M
> On June 17, 2018 at 8:02 AM "Bob Shohet, KQ2M" wrote:
>
>
> The “best” strategy will depend several things:
>
> 1) Proficiency with very methods: drone, sling shot, bow and arrow,
> commercial alternatives, etc.
> 2) Importance of permanency of installation – a few days-weeks vs.
> months-years
> 3) Cost and willingness to spend “whatever it takes”
> 4) Immediacy of needed installation – minutes-hours or days-weeks from
> now? (see #1 above)
> 5) Terrain and density of trees/brush around desired tree/branches
> 6) Height of desired tree/branch
> 7) Health and strength of installer
> 8) Weather at the time/day of installation – sunshine or rain,
> temperature, wind strength and direction
>
> I am sure that there are more “degrees of freedom” that can be added, but
> the point is that EVERY installation will vary as will each installer and
> each ham that wants something to be installed. There is no “one size fits
> all” and experiences will vary ENORMOUSLY!
>
> I live in VERY dense forest. And the weather is often a factor as is my
> state of health.
>
> OTOH, I have become expert with a sling-shot and the materials are
> relatively easily obtainable and fairly inexpensive. I can shoot a 2 oz
> weight to more 95’ vertical height in wind less than 15 mph with very good
> accuracy. It generally takes me 1 hour or less to snag the right branch in
> the right tree with 25 lb fishing line then passing twine and then heavier
> twine and then 1/4” rope through the desired branch. It is less than 1 hour
> if I make it on the first try and sometimes a bit more if takes 4 or 5 tries.
> And it can be very frustrating at times given the density of the trees and
> the branches surrounding the desired branch. But the total cost is about $2
> per line. The 10 pack of 2 oz. fishing weights are $4 and 225 yds of 25 lb
> test line is ~ $9.99 and the Marksmen sling shot is ~ $9.99.
>
> If there is a lone branch on a tall tree standing by itself then it is
> easy and I can be done in 15 minutes.
>
> A face shield is a MUST and I wear a thick glove on my left hand in case
> the weight hits off center, but this is just common sense to use.
>
> My method would not work for 160’ tree. But almost anything at 100’ or
> less could be accomplished without undue patience and concentration.
> Occasionally I have to cut down a tree or two to make room for access to the
> desired tree, but that would have to be done for any other method in order to
> install an antenna.
>
> And the sling shot can be used ANYWHERE. Dense woods, ravines, wetlands,
> etc. No problem. Lightweight, portable and takes up very little space in a
> backpack.
>
> Below 100’ there is no branch that an arborist can reach that I can’t
> reach with my slingshot.
>
> The idea of putting in a pulley is great but I will suggest an
> alternative. When that line goes up, attach a carabiner to one end of the
> rope and attach another rope to the bottom of the carabiner. The put another
> rope through the carabiner and let that go up as well. When the carabiner is
> in the desired place in the tree, simply secure BOTH ends of the carabiner
> and then pull up the other rope through the carabiner with the antenna
> attached.
>
> I have used this method successfully for several wire antennas and can
> easily raise or lower the antenna through carabiner. If I need to take
> something down, then I can simply lower the carabiner as well.
>
> I realize that not everyone can become skilled with a slingshot and that
> there are other factors that may come into play, but I often get the sense
> that hams are overcomplicating their installations. The old “tools” still
> work well with a little bit of proficiency and flexibility and forethought.
> And the convenience of doing it yourself rather than having to wait for
> someone else’s schedule, is compelling. As is the potentially ENORMOUS
> cost-saving!
>
> I still think that having a drone and potentially being able to use it is
> a cool idea, but it is probably unnecessary in the vast majority of
> situations.
>
> 73 and GL!
>
> Bob KQ2M
>
>
> From: Wes Attaway (N5WA)
> Sent: Saturday, June 16, 2018 10:44 PM
> To: jim@audiosystemsgroup.com mailto:jim@audiosystemsgroup.com ;
> towertalk@contesting.com mailto:towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Putting up wire antennas with a drone?
>
> The tree climbers do the best job, as has been discussed.
>
> I have used a tennis ball launcher with good results to put lines over
> Pine
> tree limbs. Usually I try for something about 70' to 85' or so.
>
> I have a lot of Pine trees in the yard (plus other trees) and several are
> about 100' tall but it is not practical to try to shoot over them and to
> string a wire antenna between them. There are too many limbs to deal with
> below the wire and the amount of "waving" of the tree at the top can be
> extreme.
>
> The tennis ball launcher does a good job but it is very hard to get a line
> into a real good position. It takes me quite a few shots to get something
> that is acceptable. One problem is that even if the ball goes over the
> correct limb then it might also go over some limbs in nearby trees. This
> is
> a problem that is unavoidable for people in yards with a lot of trees.
>
> There are ways to deal with this but it is a big nuisance.
>
> Patience is a key operative word.
>
> The tree climbers can get a line exactly where you want it, but as Jim
> says,
> they can be expensive. But, after a few days with a tennis ball launcher
> in
> a yard full of trees you may well decide to spend the money for a climber.
>
> -------------------
> Wes Attaway (N5WA)
> (318) 393-3289 - Shreveport, LA
> Computer/Cellphone Forensics
> AttawayForensics.com
> -------------------
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com
> mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com ] On Behalf Of Jim
> Brown
> Sent: Saturday, June 16, 2018 4:50 PM
> To: towertalk@contesting.com mailto:towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Putting up wire antennas with a drone?
>
> On 6/16/2018 1:56 PM, Bryan Swadener via TowerTalk wrote:
>
> > > A dozen years ago, I hired a "climbing arborist" to hang a pulley
> in the
> >
> > > top of my 85' Cedar tree He passed the rope thru a piece of thick
> > rubber
> hose around the tree trunk, and pulled the antenna rope thru the pulley
> and
> down parallel to the tree trunk, to a counterweight.
>
> All of my high wires are rigged through pulleys by climbers. I've used
> several over the 12 years I've been here. The smartest has been the
> arborist, whom I still use when he's available. But because he's good
> and smart, he's also very busy. They're expensive -- the going rate is
> $850/day for a 6 hour day for the climber and his groundsman, and when
> the trees are as tall as mine are (they're climbing at least 160 ft),
> one tree per day is all they can accomplish.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
>
> _______________________________________________
>
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