[TowerTalk] Re: using trees to anchor wire antennas

[Martin Ewing AA6E]

I put up a wire antenna recently using a slingshot + monofilament/bait-casting 
reel.  This is the system you see advertised for $100 or so, but I got my stuff 
from sporting goods stores for about $30.  I shot a 13/16 socket from my socket 
wrench set.  Lots of fun, but make sure there are no people down range.

After getting a 1/4" nylon line up across a good branch, I tied a pulley on one 
end, then a separate rope length to the antenna through the pulley and down to a 
cleat at shoulder height on the tree.  I first hauled the pulley up to a good 
height and then hauled the antenna up.  You can raise & lower the antenna 
without moving the pulley rope, which is an advantage - saves wear & tear on the 
tree & rope.  Also, you get the benefit of a long stretchy run of nylon down to 
the cleat, which helps reduce stress when the trees wave around.  (However, the 
pulley-rope "outhaul" takes an extra stress because of the "downhaul" - an 
interesting physics problem.)

Maybe this is overkill, but it's working pretty well right now.

73, Martin, AA6E