Topband: Beverage Woes

[Tom W8JI]

How long it lasts really depends on how mechanically intuitive we are when 
we install the antenna.

Key things are to let the wire float in everything but the end supports, and 
make sure things don't cut, flex, or rip the wire apart. Spreading the end 
load, if you grip the insulation, is a good idea. It is better to strip back 
the insulation and egg insulator the ends with a rope that floats and allows 
tensions to equalize between both conductors.

The wire also has to be supported to make short spans, so tension is not too 
great.

Mine traditionally lasted for several years, although I'm not sure about 
quality of new wire. I had some stranded window line where wires just rusted 
apart in a few years.






----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Les Kalmus" <w2lk at bk-lk.com>
To: <topband at contesting.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2013 10:21 AM
Subject: Re: Topband: Beverage Woes


>I use ladder line from the Wireman and from Davis RF. I think the 
>conductors are copper plated solid steel.
> I bought 1/4" thick 2" wide strips of acrylic from McMaster Carr and made 
> a pair of clamps of 6" long pieces by cutting grooves for the wire 
> thickness, two holes for ss bolts and one for a rope.
> These clamp the ends tightly and the acrylic is useable outdoors.
> The ladder line is supported every 50 -75 feet by a 3-4" piece of pvc wide 
> enough to easily pass the ladder line and with a large and small hole in 
> it. The small hole is for a screw into a convenient tree and the large is 
> to pass the screwhead.
> Where there were no trees, mainly a swampy area, I used metal fence posts 
> with a piece of pvc over the post with a bolt through limit how far down 
> it slides on the post and a T on the top end. The ladder line passes 
> through the T.
> The supports are at the end only. The ladder line has a twist every 3 or 4 
> feet and rides easily through the pvc supports. This has been up for at 
> least three years and has survived tree limbs, frost, snow and people with 
> no problems to date.
>
> I think I have pictures of the clamps if anyone is interested.
>
> Les W2LK
>
> On 10/23/2013 5:46 PM, Mike Waters wrote:
>> Whatever you use for wire, it needs to float at the supports. Anchor it 
>> at
>> only one end and tension it tightly at the other end.
>>
>> I use my own ladder line, made from .061" diameter plated steel electric
>> fence wire and spacers made from 1/4" dia. plastic coat hangers. Supports
>> are 10' high and 100' apart. It's taken a lot of abuse, including large
>> tree branches falling on it and a porch roof hurled against it by a small
>> tornado. Some supports broke during the flying porch roof incident, but 
>> the
>> wires never broke either time.
>>
>> WD-1A military telephone wire works well, if you have the right impedance
>> matching transformers.
>>
>> Having said all this, I know that a lot of Topbanders use that brown
>> plastic window line for their Beverage antennas. Which kind lasts?
>>
>> 73, Mike
>> http://www.w0btu.com/Beverage_antennas.html
>> _________________
>> Topband Reflector
>>
>>
>
> _________________
> Topband Reflector
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