Topband: TITANEX V160HD vertical

[Don Beattie]

I have one of these antennas in a windy hilltop location. It is guyed (as I don't have the courage to leave it up unguyed, as the spec suggests, in winds gusting up to 90 mph).

My problem is that I am getting structural failure above the top guyed point. Up to the top guy (70ft) it is fine, but the wind stress on the remaining 20ft takes its toll in time, and fractures the top 20ft just above the top guying point. I conclude that this is because all the wind stress is taken there, and not progressively in the sections below the top guy as would be the case if the whole 90 ft was unguyed.

I am considering two options:

a) To put a fibre-glass fishing pole up the inside of the top 20 ft, to give it greater stiffness
b) To give up and run unguyed.

(b) is a "kill or cure"  solution, and I'm not inclined to do it before asking first.  Have any 160 DXers had this problem, and have any solutions been found ?

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I've just resubscribed to the reflector after an absence.

Thanks

73

Don, G3BJ