Rope (was practical advice)

[Ronald D. Klein]

> From: ERIC.L.SCACE at sprintintl.sprint.com
> Date: 8 Aug 93 15:12:23-0400
> 
> Hello everyone --
> 
>    Here are a few small subjects that I would appreciate practical advice
> on....
> 
> 1) Rope:  My impression (from sailing) is that braided rope runs ever so
>    much better through pulleys etc than laid rope.  I noticed recently and
>    at Dayton that some company is now advertising black braided nylon rope.
> 
>    Up till now, I had been using laid black polypropolene rope on my dipoles
> (all of which have pulleys and are counterweighted for various reasons).
> I use 5/16ths inch rope and marine grade pulleys... but my experience is
> that the rope chafes thru the pulleys and after about 4 years has to be
> replaced due to degradation in the sunlight and chaffing.  So I am looking
> for a more durable, RF-transparent solution.
> 
>    Is black braided nylon or dacron a better answer?  Phillystran?  Any
> other ideas?   I'd like not to have to replace this for at least 10 years.
> 
> -- Eric K3NA
> 

I have used white braided nylon rope purchased at the local hardware store for 
just this purpose. That rope has been up for 12 years in the high-UV Colorado 
environment. To date, it is not quite as flexible as it orginally was, but 
runs just fine through the garden-variety pulleys that I installed at the same 
time. I'm not sure I understand the concern about special pulleys and rope in 
what is a very light load application.

Ron - W0OSK