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[TowerTalk] Calculus (?) question

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Subject: [TowerTalk] Calculus (?) question
From: Ron DeBry" <ron.debry@uc.edu (Ron DeBry)
Date: Thu, 10 Dec 98 23:32:17
Hi folks,

My latest wire-in-the-trees project involves a sort of curtain. I want
to hang a vertical stack of 4 10 meter reflectors behind a lazy-H. The
top reflector wire will be held up by the ropes in the trees, but I
need to hang the other 3 each about 10 feet down. 

Sort of like so:

        ________

        ________

        ________

        ________

(ascii art at it's finest, eh?)

When I just have 2 reflectors, I just hang a nylon line from each end
of the top one, then a tag line down to the ground. The tag line comes
off at an angle, so it keeps tension on the bottom reflector. With 4
wires, I'm going to have to work harder to keep the middle 2 under
enough tension, so they won't coil back up.

I figure I need to make a nylon line extension off each lower wire,
with the 2nd one down the shortest, the 3rd a bit longer, and the
bottom one the longest. I guess a parabola is the "curve" I'm shooting
for. Unfortunately, I'm a biologist, and they don't let you become a
biologist unless you flunk a math test first.

Anyone know a formula I can use to determine how long each extension
should be? Or should I just guess and figure it'll take a few tries?


73, Ron

Ron DeBry   K8KM  (ex WA6DGX)

Dept. of Biological Sciences        (513) 556-9743
Box 210006                                 e-mail : ron.debry@uc.edu
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH  45221-0006


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