Carolina Windom 80 Short Installation - Elmers Forum at eHam.net

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eHam.net Forum : Elmers : Carolina Windom 80 Short Installation

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Carolina Windom 80 Short Installation	Reply
by 10CVALLEYVOL on February 21, 2006	Mail this to a friend!
I am considering buying and intalling a CW-80 Short Antenna. This will be my first antenna after I get my license. The Flat Top configuration from what I can see from drawings provided by Radioworks shows 100 ft of horizontal line divided at the feed point. There are 3 vertical sections, one which the feed line connects to and one on either end of the horizontal sections. Can anyone who has installed this configuration tell me how the points where the horizontals and the verticals meet are supported when strung and suspended between two trees? I assume the wire from each end of the antenna to its respective connection to the feedline is continuous.

RE: Carolina Windom 80 Short Installation	Reply
by KB9WQJ on February 22, 2006	Mail this to a friend!
I have mine only supported at the ends...there are insulators at the points on the ends where the vertical sections hang down. The balun in the middle has a screw eye at the top (I think) but I had no way to support it there so oI didn't. It's pretty sturdy...I have a spring tension with pulley situation on the ends so no matter how the trees sway it can give and take up the slack to remain (mostly) horizontal...as horizontal as anything supported only on the 100 foot apart ends can be....which isn't bad since I've got pretty much tension on it (the robust construction again). Hope that helps. 73 de Mike

RE: Carolina Windom 80 Short Installation	Reply
by 10CVALLEYVOL on February 22, 2006	Mail this to a friend!
Thanks Mike for the reply to this question. Do you have anything at the ends of the vertical sections to keep any tension on them to keep them vertical or is that important?

RE: Carolina Windom 80 Short Installation	Reply
by KB9WQJ on February 22, 2006	Mail this to a friend!
I think it is supposed to be but I actually let the vertical part at one end of the antenna dangle in the breeze. The other end (the one with the shorter horizontal section) I actually have tilted to the side and tied off that way because otherwise it would brush up against the gutter/roof of my two story house and I thought it better if it didn't actually touch anything especially metal although I have the indulated version. Seems to work OK but the next project will be a loop skywire enclosing the perimeter of my property over 500ft. 73

RE: Carolina Windom 80 Short Installation	Reply
by KE5BCG on February 22, 2006	Mail this to a friend!
I just installed a 40m version of this antenna. I hung it from the center point on the north side of a chimney. The wires are attached to masts I've put up on each fence. They are tensioned by some small fishing weights so the antenna can "flex" in the breeze. With the center point suspended there is very little tension on the conductors.

RE: Carolina Windom 80 Short Installation	Reply
by WB2WIK on February 22, 2006	Mail this to a friend!
Normally the vertical drops are kept vertical by the use of an end insulator on each one (provided), followed by a rope to either an anchor on the ground or a weight. If they blow around a little bit it won't hurt anything, although eventually the wire can fatigue. When I've installed this very antenna, I anchored the vertical sections with Dacron rope and a guy stake into the ground directly below each drop point. WB2WIK/6

RE: Carolina Windom 80 Short Installation	Reply
by KC6PJK on February 22, 2006	Mail this to a friend!
I have the Carolina Beam Special 80, which I believe is the predecessor to your antenna. I also have it strung between two trees with the ends hanging down vertically. At each vertical end insulator, I attached about a foot length of dacron cord with a three ounce lead weight tied at the end. It does not seem to affect antenna performance and keeps the vertical wires taught. I keep the horizontal portion of the antenna taught by using a pully/weight system to allow tension relief during windy days. If the Short 80 performs anything like my Beam Special, you will be very happy with it. I consistently get good signal reports. 73 Jack

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