[TowerTalk] baloon supported wire verticals

[Steve Katz]

Hi Mirko,

I've paid about $200 for a kiteoon, locally.  The 8-to-9 foot diameter WX
balloons are usually about $30 each, so a kiteoon is definitely more
expensive -- but, the kiteoon is reusable, whereas the latex WX balloons are
not.  Once they stretch from use and the He starts leaking through the latex
(which it does, within about two days), the WX balloons are good for the
garbage bin.

73 & good luck with your experiment!

Steve, WB2WIK/6

"Success is the ability to go from failure to failure with no loss of
enthusiasm." -Winston Churchill

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Sibilja Mirko [SMTP:s57ad at amis.net]
> Sent:	Friday, April 04, 2003 10:11 AM
> To:	Steve Katz
> Subject:	Re: [TowerTalk] baloon supported wire verticals
> 
> Hi Steve,
> 
> thank for your response & thanks for sharing your experiences with us. I
> like idea of using kiteoons vy much.  Though, we should use what we have
> at
> hands, that's weather balloon (we got for free). I'm a bit sceptical on
> how
> it will behave, for at the Adriatic Sea coast we have always some "amount"
> of wind or, at least, some breeze, but, OTOH, such a vertical would in any
> case work better than low inverted L (w. some 6 - 9m tall vertical part of
> it).
> 
> Just curiousity - what's the price of such a kiteoon approximatelly?
> 
> 73 & CU on the air soon & best wishes for comming Easter holidays!
> 
> Mirko, S57AD
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Steve Katz <stevek at jmr.com>
> To: 'Sibilja Mirko' <s57ad at amis.net>; <towertalk at contesting.com>
> Sent: Friday, April 04, 2003 5:45 PM
> Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] baloon supported wire verticals
> 
> 
> > Mirko,
> >
> > I've used He-filled WX balloons several times.  They work great on a
> very
> > calm day (no wind), and not so great when it gets windy.
> >
> > The problem with "guying" of any sort is that any horizontal thrust
> (wind)
> > becomes downward thrust (lowering the balloon, and the antenna) due to
> > vector summing.  So, guying just doesn't work.
> >
> > What does work better is a "kiteoon."  A kiteoon is a combination kite
> and
> > He-filled balloon.  Wind creates vertical lift, like with a kite.  In
> the
> > absence of wind, the He-filled balloon creates the lift.  So, under all
> > cases, the item stays aloft, and the antenna wire taut.  Kiteoons here
> in
> > the U.S. are very popular, flying over automobile dealerships and such
> to
> > advertise sales and help interested customers from a mile or two away
> find
> > the location of the sale.  As such, I've been able to buy them from the
> > "sign and banner" companies who sell them to the car dealerships.
> >
> > WB2WIK/6
> >
> > "Success is the ability to go from failure to failure with no loss of
> > enthusiasm." -Winston Churchill
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Sibilja Mirko [SMTP:s57ad at amis.net]
> > > Sent: Friday, April 04, 2003 4:36 AM
> > > To: towertalk at contesting.com
> > > Subject: [TowerTalk] baloon supported wire verticals
> > >
> > > Hi TTers,
> > >
> > > our club (S58U) is planning to put up top band vire vertical in one of
> > > next
> > > contests. Baloon is meteorological one, filled by He.  Advices and
> hints
> > > would be greatly appreciated (wire size, neccessity of additional
> guying
> > > the
> > > baloon to avoid flewing baloon away by wind, etc).
> > >
> > > Thanks in advance!
> > >
> > > 73!  Mirko, S57AD
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > >
> > > See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers",
> "Wireless
> > > Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041
> with
> > > any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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