Topband: Need Ideas For "Fusing" Beverages From Falling Trees

[VE6WZ_Steve]

Randy,

I have 15 Beverage wires that average about 900’ long. About 2.5 miles of wire.  All the wires are in dense, old growth forest.
I have trees falling ALL the time.  Every wire has a counterweight concrete block pulley system to prevent breakage.
When a tree falls on a wire (about twice a month), the wire does not break, and a quick trip with the chain saw to remove the tree recovers the wire.

You may not be a “video guy” but I made a YouTube that shows the detail of how I install it and how they work:
https://youtu.be/l91JL2ImEbk <https://youtu.be/l91JL2ImEbk>

And here is a short video showing it in action:
https://youtu.be/GEkA9Hzrwas <https://youtu.be/GEkA9Hzrwas>

Also, for those that have larger Beverage installations, this video explains how I use my antenna analyzer to sweep my wires at any time (even remotely) and by comparing the seep to saved files, I know if a wire is down.
This is NOT a trivial problem.  With my Beverage field, to walk and check all the wires, I would need to walk about 8 miles through heavy bush! This would take the better part of a day.
Before a contest, in 5 minutes, I can check all 15 wires and know if there is a tree down or broken term or feed.
https://youtu.be/PA67Tz-1TO4 <https://youtu.be/PA67Tz-1TO4>


73, de steve ve6wz



> On Jan 3, 2021, at 4:54 AM, Randy via Topband <topband at contesting.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> I have several 600 foot beverages made of WD-1A mil wire that run through heavy woods.  They can handle the random falling branch but when a large tree falls over them they break.  The wire is held in place with electric fence plastic insulators that are nailed to trees every 100 feet. I would like to add a smaller diameter wire to each insulator to act as a "fuse" when a tree falls across them.  I am looking for ideas as to the best way to do this.  Maybe a number 26 wire?  The wire size has to be heavy enough to support the wire in normal use but weak enough to break when hit by a tree. Suggestions? 73 Randy W9ZR
> _________________
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