Topband: Tower-attached guy wires - max length for driven tower?

[Jon Zaimes AA1K]

Brian,

For the guy end attaching to the tower (or guy bracket on the tower), I 
use a length just long enough to accommodate a preformed grip on each 
end -- for a total of about 5 feet long including the guy grips 
(preforms). Then there is an insulator, and a steel guy of 58 or 39 feet 
(nonresonant lengths from ARRL antenna book table), another insulator, 
and a length of cable to the anchor point. This arrangement may add some 
small capacitive loading from the short length attached to the tower, 
but I've never found it significant. And it uses a minimum number of 
insulators (two per guy). I've used it on towers in the 70-100 foot 
range (higher ones might add an extra insulated length on the upper guy).

73/Jon AA1K
www.aa1k.us