If you know how to handle it, an archery bow works pretty well. The basic
procedure is to tie a line to an arrow, shoot the arrow over a branch, then
use the line to pull up a heavier line.
You need to use a line that's lightweight enough so that it won't drag too
much on the arrow, yet strong enough that it won't break when you use it to
haul the next line. I like to use ice fishing line because it's strong
enough to haul up the rope that will support the dipole. If you can't find
any ice fishing line, or need a lighter weight line to allow for greater
height, then you can try strong nylon fishing line and use it to haul up an
intermediate weight line like nylon twine. Then use the twine to haul up a
rope.
I got somewhat better results by using the heaviest arrowheads I could
find -- once the fishing line goes over the branch, a heavier arrow helps to
pull it over the branch. Remember that the arrow has to get close enough to
the ground for you to be able to reach it. Also, somewhat unintuitively, I
found that it was best to tie the fishing line back by the feathers instead
of behind the arrowhead. Behind the arrowhead, the line put too much drag on
the arrow.
Perhaps the most important step is to lay out enough fishing line on the
ground so that the arrow can pull the entire length needed without
experiencing any drag. I use multiple long rows of line. A friend says he
heard that it works even better to rewind the twine on a large plastic
bucket, but he hasn't tried that yet.
A couple of years back, I did all this with a foot of snow and ice on the
ground (hey, Heard Island was on...) I wouldn't recommend that at all. It
took many hours and many failed tries (and a lot of disentangling of the
line from the ice.) Later on, when the XYL made me relocate the inverted
vee, I paid a tree specialist to scamper up a tall evergreen tree, afix a
pulley system near the top, and cut away all the potentially obstructing
branches. It took less than 1/2 hour and it's a much better setup. Didn't
cost a whole lot either. Hope this helps.
73, Dick, WC1M
-----Original Message-----
From: David Jones <kk7gw@hotmail.com>
To: towertalk@contesting.com <towertalk@contesting.com>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Date: Monday, May 18, 1998 11:22 PM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Launching dipoles
>Anyone have any safe and fairly effective ideas on launching dipoles
>into trees? I have numerous trees that go up a good 60 or 65 feet, but
>no way to really get anything up there. A cherry picker or fire truck
>is sort of out of the question, I can't afford that stuff.
>
>73
>
>David Jones, KK7GW
>kk7gw@hotmail.com
>
>
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