BTW, note that if the line is coiled on the tarp in a figure-8 shape, it won't
tangle when you fire it. Same trick works when you pack up the headset wire to
your smart phone -- when you put it away, coil it around your fingers in a
figure-8, and you won't have a tangled mess the next time you take it out.
This is how the coastal life-saving services coiled the rope that they had to
shoot into the rigging of a ship stranded offshore, when they had to make sure
the line didn't tangle.
Regards,
Art Delibert, KB3FJO
________________________________
From: Topband <topband-bounces@contesting.com> on behalf of Charles Moizeau
<w2sh@msn.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2018 10:24 PM
To: Wayne Kline; topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: tennis ball launcher for antennas
Wayne,
Ditch the idea of using the tennis ball launcher. Neither it nor the Zebco
spinning reel will solve your problem which is basically to get your projectile
to reach the target but not go much further beyond it, either into a danger
zone or into some other tree.
Here's my technique. Get yourself a plastic tarp (Harbor Freight has lots of
these). I wanted some extra thickness and weight so I got a silver one that is
10' x 20'. Folded down twice it makes a 5' x 10' surface. I lay it on the
ground with the 10' length pointing toward the target.
Estimating the distance to the target, I lay out about 15 percent more of the
light weight line in an S shape back and forth on the tarp. In my case I have
about 300 yards of light weight line stored on a 9" plastic reel used by kite
flyers. This has enough weight so that when the weighted arrow has been shot
and all the line on the tarp is used the reel jumps about 2' up in the air and
brakes the the arrow before it can get into unwanted stuff.
I then lower the arrow to the ground, detach it and pull a heavier rope back to
where I'm standing.
The tarp provides a friction-free surface for the light weight line. The arrow
won't seriously overshoot because there's a limited amount of line on the tarp
before the gentle braking of the plastic reel.
There are some other tricks, but this should get you started in the right
direction.
Charles, W2SH
From: Topband <topband-bounces@contesting.com> on behalf of Wayne Kline
<w3ea@hotmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2018 6:34 PM
To: terry burge; topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: tennis ball launcher for antennas
Terry.
I never used one of those pneumatic air launchers….. following your link looks
like a great option.
In the past I have used a bow and arrow wit the bow having a Zebco spin cat
real attached. But was limited because I have a 1000 ft road frontage tree
line and arrows descending can be a problem.
I ran across a wrist rocket which uses a tennis ball … I got a few hand balls
seemed to work better falling through the tree branches and have been using
it in that configuration for a while.
My trees are not in the 100ft range but more in the 50/60 ft
YMMV
Wayne W3EA
Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows 10
________________________________
From: Topband <topband-bounces@contesting.com> on behalf of terry burge
<ki7m@comcast.net>
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2018 6:04:10 PM
To: topband@contesting.com; terry burge
Subject: Topband: tennis ball launcher for antennas
Sometime back I bought one of those cheaper launchers that shot a 1-1.5 oz.
fishing weight with fishing line attached. It was scary because if that fishing
weight hit something other that the ground or the fish line broke you never
knew where that thing was going to land.
I now have a CSV19 Pneumatic Antenna Launching System like you can see at
www.antennalaunchers.com/csv19/index.html<http://www.antennalaunchers.com/csv19/index.html<http://www.antennalaunchers.com/csv19/index.html<http://www.antennalaunchers.com/csv19/index.html<http://www.antennalaunchers.com/csv19/index.html<http://www.antennalaunchers.com/csv19/index.html<http://www.antennalaunchers.com/csv19/index.html<http://www.antennalaunchers.com/csv19/index.html>>>.
I have used it with a lot of success and have seen it send a tennis ball over
a 105' fir tree about half again as high. I think with the max 80# of pressure
(think that is what the max is labeled) can get a woven fish line over a tree
at least 160' tall. 100+ feet for sure. The big thing is to have a lot of fish
line on the fishing real and don't forget to open the bail. If you start
breaking lines and try splicing them together that can be a problem catching on
the reel spool. The new woven fish lines are even smaller and I think lighter
than monofilament. Can't remember how many times I've had to search for the
tennis ball because the 30-40# fishing line broke. Even have one on my third
guy line up on my tower.
Wind can sometimes be a problem of course. Was really a problem with the first
launcher using that in Keizer (in town). Hitting right above the top of a tall
fir tree as a target you would be surprised just how far off one can go.
Terry
KI7M
_________________
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
_________________
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
_________________
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
_________________
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
|