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Re: [TowerTalk] Rope de Rope.....................

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Rope de Rope.....................
From: "Clay Curtiss W7CE" <w7ce@curtiss.net>
Reply-to: Clay Curtiss W7CE <w7ce@curtiss.net>
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2006 21:52:12 -0800
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
> This is exactly what your looking for!
>
> http://www.synthetictextilesinc.com/supportham.html
>
> I'm using the same thing as well with no problems...

I have used 3000' of the Synthetic Textiles rope to hang antennas in trees.
Instead of pulleys, I use ceramic electrical insulators (the kind with
integrated lag bolt) up in the tree and then run the rope from the base of
the tree, up through the hole in the insulator and out to the antenna
insulator.  I've been using this technique for over 20 years with good luck.
Previously I used inexpesive 3/8" nylon rope acquired at hardware stores.
It usually lasted about 10 years at my QTH in WA state, and I never had a
rope break.  Two years ago I switched to the Synthetic Textiles 3/16" rope
(770 lbs break strength) and have had three ropes break.  I've examined the
ropes and the break always occurs at the rub point on the insulator (I hand
pick these insulators to have very smooth ceramic when the rope will make
contact).  The black dacron covering wears through and once that happens the
polyester seems to go pretty quickly.  I typically apply about 50-75 lbs of
tension on the rope.  The last break was tensioned with a 50lb concrete
weight that was sitting on the ground.  When the wind blows hard, the weight
would lift a few inches off the ground, so I'm pretty sure that the tension
was always around 50 lbs.  Based on the last two years experience, I'm going
back to nylon and I'll just replace it periodically.  It's getting expensive
having someone climb 135' up into the tree to replace the rope.

Clay  W7CE

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