[TowerTalk] phillystran for wire dipoles in trees

[K8RI on Tower talk]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Jarvis" <jimjarvis at verizon.net>
To: <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com>; <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 8:01 PM
Subject: [TowerTalk] phillystran for wire dipoles in trees


>
> Jim,
>
> I've run 160 and 80m carolina windoms in trees varying from 80 to
> 140' high, in Vermont and Maryland.  I have them made from #12
> PE insulated superflex wire, which has a breaking strength above
> 175 lbs, and is easy to handle.
>
> I hold them up with olive drab dacron rope...variously 1/4" or 1/8".
> The latter has 700 lbs tensile strength, the former something like 
> 2200lbs.
>
> Routinely ran a kw.
>
> All I do is shoot gametracker string over the top of the trees, pull up 
> the
> 1/8" and pull up the antenna.  Forget the pulleys.  Had ONE antenna come
> down,
> in 10 years, and put it back up in under an hour.  Never lost a rope.  DID
> break the wire, that one time.
>
> Phillystran isn't particularly resistive to abrasion.  Not well suited for
> being in trees.

That is the opposit of my experience.  I've found the stuff nigh onto 
imporrible to cut with a knife or box cutter and resorted to using either 
cable cutters (same as the ones used for EHS) or bolt cutters but they leave 
a few strands of the Kevlar that still need to be cut.

When working on Phillystran installation I normally use high quality, sharp, 
cable cutters.
Just don't forget to cap the ends to keep moisture out.

Roger Halstead (K8RI and ARRL 40 year Life Member)
N833R - World's oldest Debonair CD-2
www.rogerhalstead.com

>
> n2ea
> jimjarvis at ieee.org
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>