Topband: Using the K2AV folded counterpoise at VK6VZ

[Jim F.]

I do not have the FCP up yet but an inv. L  has been up
in the treetops for 2+ years.
 
It is of #16 teflon silver plated stranded wire and I attribute long
life to the far end which is tied to a single rope which is tied to the 
center of a horizontal rope with ends tied to supple branches of opposing 
small trees that act as a shock absorber. 
(ropes are configured like an inverted T)
 
A more recent inv. L wire of the same material had the far end
single rope tied to a thicker branch and the wire abraded and 
broke at one spot.
 
And I wondered why tuning suddenly changed :-))
 
I run QRP power and get away with a wire in the treetops.
 
jim / W1FMR
 

--- On Fri, 8/31/12, Guy Olinger K2AV <olinger at bellsouth.net> wrote:


From: Guy Olinger K2AV <olinger at bellsouth.net>
Subject: Re: Topband: Using the K2AV folded counterpoise at VK6VZ
To: wrcromwell at gmail.com
Cc: "TopBand List" <topband at contesting.com>
Date: Friday, August 31, 2012, 11:25 AM


That part where you say "keep a low profile" is the real issue.

Since trees routinely get to 100, and even up to 150 feet, objects of that
size unless close and directly in line with runways are not prohibited.
4000 feet is way past the point where trees have to be cut down in line
with runways.

K5AF has an L over FCP with the bend supported by his 40 foot tree.  K5ESW
shot a line over his trees and pulled insulated Wireman #531 through the
top of the trees with the line to get his "roundish L" over FCP.  He puts
1200 watts on it and I keep waiting for him to tell me it's burned through
to the wood somewhere, but not so far. The kazappy end of the wire is in
the clear.  Press at Wireman does not list an insulation rating for that
stuff.  But the insulation is PE, not the cheep PVC stuff you get on THHN,
etc.

The PE insulation on #531 is black, and it is very hard to see that stuff
up in a tree.  Most of ESW's wire I simply couldn't pick out of the
branches, even though I knew where it had to be.

If it if was ME doing a stunt like that, I would get teflon tubing big
enough but not too loose and put that over the #531.  Then I would pull the
combination through the trees.  But Paul has it up there, and so we have a
real life experiment in progress.

73, Guy.

On Thu, Aug 30, 2012 at 6:47 PM, Bill Cromwell <wrcromwell at gmail.com> wrote:

> Lucky me there is no "HOA" where I live. Mention HOA and everybody says
> "huh? No way". I am about 4000 feet from the nearest runway but that is
> for small aircraft and the 4000 feet is from my home to the *side* of
> runway. The tallest tree on my place is about 40 feet high and I don't
> want to go very much past that due to that runway AND to just keep a low
> profile.
>
_______________________________________________
UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK