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1-7 of 7 messages
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Tree branches - how do you avoid them?
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by KC0VEJ on October 19, 2005
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Forgive the stupidity of this question, but I want to launch a string to the top of a tree in my yard for a wire antenna. I can use a bow and arrow to get it into the tree, then pull up the wire and attach it to the tree. But when I go to do the other tree, won't the wire snag on the branches of the first tree as I try to raise the wire up between the two trees? Thanks for any help!
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RE: Tree branches - how do you avoid them?
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by N3BIF on October 19, 2005
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I quickly learned that it was far easier to simply shoot over the top of the whole tree. Then hook your "tag"line onto the string and pull that over and then tie on your support line to that . Then do the same on the second tree. Yes the line will work its way down between some branches but the result is a lot better and quicker than trying to work the line "up". Plus the canopy adds spring to the set up and I have yet to have a line break this way. Most of my antennas are held up with nothing more than chalkline wihtout the chalk. It is very strong cheap and invisble. It is also why I only use insulated wire.
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RE: Tree branches - how do you avoid them?
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by K5LXP on October 20, 2005
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Every one of my wire antennas is strung over the crowns of the trees in my yard, just as N3BIF describes. I've had them come down due to abrasion when I used cheap contractor's (nylon) twine, but after switching to dacron braided rope they've been up ever since. Some of my antennas use insulated wire, some not. As far as snagging/catching in the branches, the only time I had trouble with that was with an 80/40 trap dipole, and the traps did catch as they went through. But at the top of the tree the branches are pretty thin, and you can usually pull it through.
Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM
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RE: Tree branches - how do you avoid them?
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by WB2WIK on October 20, 2005
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There dozens of ways to skin this cat.
Be really careful if you use a bow. I once used a crossbow with an arrow shaft with the tip removed and replaced with a small rubber ball and a monofilament nylon fishing line tied to its tail; having not much previous experience with crossbows, I had no idea how powerful they can be and the arrow went not only over the intended tree, but about 150 feet past it and landed in my neighbor's pool. The rubber ball came off somewhere along the line and the hard tip of the arrow shaft was exposed. If somebody'd been hit by that, it would have been really serious.
Anyway...use whatever works and don't be surprised if it takes several tries to land the line where you want it. Use lightweight fishing line as the "hoist" line to pull up a heavier rope, and then the antenna wire. Fishing line's really cheap, be prepared to throw a lot of it away!
My typical method nowadays is to use a 2 oz or 3 oz fishing sinker on the end of the line and either "cast" it over the tree using a fishing rod, or just throw it over by hand if the tree isn't too tall.
I once had a friend who was a semi-pro baseball outfielder and could hit a target with a baseball from 150 feet away, pretty closely. Great arm, and good aim. I once used a needle to pull a fishing line through a baseball, then cut off the needle and asked him to throw the ball over a particular limb up about 60' in a taller oak tree. He stood back probably 75 feet from the tree and nailed it on the first try. I need another friend like that....
WB2WIK/6
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RE: Tree branches - how do you avoid them?
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by WB6BYU on October 20, 2005
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First of all, when you get a rope over a tree limb, tie
the rope in a loop to make a halyard rather than tying it
to the tree at that point. That allows you to raise and
lower the antenna for repairs as needed (or to try out
a different antenna.)
The actual installation will depend on what sort of antenna
you are installing. Generally I don't have much trouble
with just pulling the wire up out of the branches, but
on occasion I might have to throw another rope over a
problem branch to pull it out of the way. Or, if you can
get a rope over BOTH trees in one shot, use that to pull
up a continuous length of wire and it shouldn't sag too
much. Or pass a doubled rope around the wire to allow
you to pull it sideways from ground level to help it clear
the branches. (It depends a lot on the variety of
tree: some have much stiffer branches than others.)
A bow and arrow gives excellent control, but I've had
very good results with a slingshot, and have been known
to get a rock on a rope over a branch at 60' on occasion.
The most common problem I've seen is not using ENOUGH
weight to bring the string back down to the ground easily.
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RE: Tree branches - how do you avoid them?
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by KC0VEJ on October 20, 2005
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Thanks for all the great advice (as usual)! I'm going to buy a lot of rope and a lot of fishing line. It looks like I'm going to need it! Thanks again. Ethan
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RE: Tree branches - how do you avoid them?
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by WILLY on October 21, 2005
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And if you really want to make it into a FUN project, check out these sites:
http://www.eham.net/articles/12238
http://www.qsl.net/k5lxp/projects/Launcher/Launcher.html
http://www.qsl.net/wb6zqz/antlaunching.html
http://www.spudfiles.com/
:)
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