Topband: Non-Invasive tree attachment?

[Bill Wichers]

If it's to be a seasonal installation, you'd be OK just running a rope around the branch. When attaching to a tree for the short term, what you want to avoid is chafing and abrasion of the tree's bark. I would make a loop of rope around the branch such that motion of the antenna wire would not cause the rope to create a sawing motion on the branch.

If this will be a longer term installation, then you also want to avoid constriction of the branch as that can kill the branch. In this case it would be important that the loop of rope be sufficiently slack so as to allow growth of the branch (growth = increase in diameter). You could also try to get some seatbelt-like nylon webbing to use around the branch instead of rope. The wider material will spread the load over a larger area of the branch which will help to reduce any possibility of damage to the branch.

And don't forget to provide a "fuse" somewhere in the system to allow for an easy-to-fix failure point to protect the branch. I usually use small braided nylon cord for this purpose (I've found it to outlast twisted string). You want the fuse to break at some amount of tension that is high enough that you're not constantly fixing things, but low enough that the branch and any important antenna parts won't fail before the fuse does.

I always plan my tree-supported antenna systems to protect the tree first, then the antenna. I can always fix the antenna, but if I break one of my trees then I loose one of my supports!

   -Bill

Sent from my iPad

> On Jan 25, 2015, at 1:10 PM, Tracey Gardner <tracey.gardner at talktalk.net> wrote:
> 
> 
> I'm replacing my Beverage and want to tension the wire at the far end by fixing it to a low horizontal branch of a large old willow tree.
> The branch in question is substantial and about 9 inches in diameter.
> I don't want to fix into the tree as it is not my tree.
> 
> Can anybody suggest a suitable non-invasive means of making an attachment?
> 
> Many thanks
> 
> Tracey G5VU
> 
> 
> _________________
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