[TowerTalk] Ravine span--It can be Done!

Kenneth D. Grimm grimm@alison.sbc.edu
Sun, 15 Jun 1997 09:24:46 -0400


Jim Reid wrote:
> 
> Aloha,
(snipped stuff went here)
> Trade winds and rain showers absent,  added legs of rope will
> go up tomorrow morning.  Progress will be reported when
> the wires are up.  Planning to use 300 ohm windowed twin
> lead for the radiating elements.  Choosing this for strength
> against the gusty trades and occasional tropical storm winds
> that will blow across Kauai.  Will use doubled Dacron
> as the suspending support rope.
> 
> These things should work all the way down through even 160,
> I hope!  At least a little down there, maybe, as the legs
> will be just a bit over one wave long on 160.
> 
> 73,  Jim,  KH7M
> On the Garden Island of Kauai

If I had gone to the trouble that you have, just to get the lines across
the ravine, I think I would use a substantial (#12 or #10) sized
copper-clad steel wire for the elements rather than the ladder line. 
While the ladder line is stronger than some other stuff you might have
been tempted to use, it is nowhere near as strong as copper-clad.  The
ladder line is probably a whole lot friendlier to use too, because heavy
gauge copper-clad can be mean to work with...but it is strong.

Sounds like you will have a real band opener when you have completed the
project.  Good luck and keep us posted.

73,
Ken K4XL
grimm@alison.sbc.edu

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