I've never personally tried a balloon or kite, but I would suspect with
either elevated radials might be a problem due to the extra weight. You
could, I suppose, use a few mast sections to hold up the elevated
radials in the center and then run your aerial wire from the top of the
mast to the balloon/kite to keep that weight off the skyhook though.
What I *have* done is to use the surplus military masts -- the aluminum
ones, not the fiberglass kind -- with a surplus insulator at the bottom.
Depending on the type of mast kit you use, you should be able to get up
to 30-44 feet or so with the smaller mast kits. These are fairly strong,
although they require guying, and they can easily support a reasonably
large top hat. The aluminum mast kits generally have conductive coupling
(i.e. the coupling parts aren't painted), so you end up with a vertical
aluminum pipe that makes a pretty reasonable antenna. For radials you'd
just lay out wire the same as you would for any "regular" antenna.
Everything can pack into a duffle bag when you're not using it -- the
mast kits usually break down into 3-4 foot long sections.
If you want to use the cheaper fiberglass mast sections make sure you
get the reinforced kind (the kind with an extra ring around the "socket"
end of each mast section). You could then suspend a piece of heavy wire
inside the mast and use that as the antenna element. I haven't tried the
fiberglass sections myself except as a K9AY center support, but I don't
see any reason they wouldn't work to hold up a vertical wire and top
hat.
If you do use the mast kits to hold up a top hat, it would be helpful to
have a helper to get the mast in the air. The masts tend to want to
buckle in the middle as you raise them so it helps to have one person
"walk up" the mast while another pulls up the guy lines until the mast
is vertical. Once it's vertical you need to set the guys, but using 4
guys instead of three you can "pre-set" three of the sets to the correct
length so that only the fourth set needs to be snapped onto a ground
stake to complete the installation. The completed mast can take some
pretty strong winds with no problem so would have a pretty sturdy
temporary installation that wouldn't be affected by too strong or too
weak winds.
-Bill
[snip]
> I've done some reading, kites, balloons etc. I'm fine to build a big
> lifting kite, I've got a hunk of tyvek somewhere, but that's not the
> point,
> the point is what I'd lift. Balloons aren't interesting, I can't make
> helium in the wood shop or sew a balloon.
>
> What I'm after is some thoughts on the antenna. Looks like a kite
lifted
> 1/4 wave vertical should be doable, but what about the radials? Try to
> elevate them? I'm only 100w, so I'm interested in some reasonable (or
a
> bit
> more than what one might think reasonable) efforts which will help me
be
> successful. I read about bleeding static but don't have specifics.
>
> That being said, if there is no wind, and no antenna being lifted,
success
> is not only in the result but also in the prep. I'll be ready for the
next
> opportunity. A good story is worth something also.
>
> So what do you all think? I've got barbed wire fencing, lots of space,
> copperweld and electric fence wire, some 50-60' or higher trees here
and
> there along the edges of the fields. Hilly pasture even for that
matter,
> but really limited in access for the travel trailer (not that it has
to be
> part of the setup, but I've got it, might as well use it).
>
> Thanks,
> Chris
> _______________________________________________
> UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
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UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
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