Pocket self winding antennas

[K5DAM]

I want to get a half dozen or more of these to use as portable antenna parts - NVIS, Vertical, etc... specifically, attach a few to the bottom of a
vertical and stretch them out as radials.  or, in the case of a multi-band antenna like the http://www.eham.net/articles/5747
use them as an adjustable antenna instead of the precut flexweave wires.

seems to me that we could do a lot with a few of these.

The query now is... does anyone have knowledge of a particular brand of a "measuring tape" or self winding antenna which he would RECOMMEND for the purposes set forth above??

once again, this is a small plastic case with a ring attached to a wire which is wound onto a spring spool so that as you pull it out, it is under tension.  when you release it, it coils back up again inside the case.
Very same principle as the pocket measuring tape.  It just uses wire instead of steel tape.
These used to be available everywhere some 20 yrs ago or so.
73/k5dam

[K0BG]

If you spend time searching the net, you'll find several dozen references to "tape dipoles", and there was even one here on eham.

Steel tapes work fairly well, not matter whose they are. The biggest problem is making good contact on the tape itself. Harbor Freight sells 100 foot ones for less than $15 with both foot and meter markings.

Alan, KØBG
www.k0bg.com

[K5DAM]

I have spent about 2 hrs yesterday, maybe more, looking for the WIRE wound up on a recoil spooled container like a pocket measureing tape.  I know they make these or at least DID, with WIRE in them, instead of measuring tapes.
But, I cannot find any.  I suppose I could disassemble a tape measure, remove the tape and wind some 27ga wire on instead.
I honestly had not thought of using steel TAPE because of their bulkiness in the length we would want, difficulty in linking three or four of them for length (with wire, attach one end to the feedpoint, string it out, grab another and do a quick wrap one to the other, and continue stretching these out, daisy chained if necessary.  the steel tapes would require little C clamps  I guess....  Anyway, still looking for a source for these little stretch out antennas.  Last I saw was at a Ham fest last Spring and it was for a SWL radio.

thanks for the reply.  will have to think about stripping out some old tape measures and attaching wire instead.
chas/k5dam

[KG6WLS]

Do you mean something like this?

http://www.hamradiofun.com/yo-yo-vee.htm

73

[K5DAM]

that is a wind up version of what I was talking about but it certainly would do the job that I am wanting I think.
thanks very much for the url.  will contact them and see if I can handle the cost of a few of these.  40 footers will knock the overall cost down.  I really just want to make the multi band NVIS kit, lighter and more easily portable if I can.  I bought 500' of flexweave 14ga but after loading the head tube of that down with the wires for three bands, I think it is just too heavy for all but car portability.  I do like that dipole antenna, would make a nice roadside antenna I think.
thanks again.  that is a new or barely remembered product line.
73
chas/K5DAM

[WB9URN]

Neither my vertical, nor my G5RV needs to be wound. They get their power from the rig.

[K5DAM]

well folks, we must NOT be communicating <G>
I am talking about a mast in 3' sections, a base and attachable rewindable wires with a coax attachment.  these wires can either be attached to the base for radials?? or used as dipoles of certain lengths with the coax cpoints.

I am not talking about 100ft +  wire antennas or extensive verticals.
I AM talking about portable operations using fans or maypoles.

thanks
73
chas/k5dam
Merry Christmas!!