[TowerTalk] Antenna eating tree

[Jim Jarvis]

Unlike Charlie Brown's kite eating tree, the antenna
eating pinoak yielded to a 2 ton come-along.  The windom
remains are down.  Validates my 'soft-technology' approach,
using two small bowlines, tied in the rope and wire, in lieu of
end-insulators.

It pulled through the crotch of the branch at 70', with something
less than 300 lbs persuasion.  Had there been an insulator, it'd be
there permanently.

Now comes the problem of repair/replace.  As Jim Brown pointed out
so well, soldering a splice will result in structural weakness.  So
the question becomes...replace half the antenna....replace ALL the antenna
with heavier wire, or, try something completely different, for 160.
Intriguing question.

Curiously enough, there was no sign of abrasion on the insulation where
the wire parted.  It was evidently just a weak spot, and the 'superflex'
wire-rope unlaid for a distance of 3" on either side of the break.  Unless
perhaps a branch DID work the wire, and break internal strands while leaving
the PE covering intact.  Where it broke seems to be out in the clear, but
with 55kt gusts, who knows what was where, when it went.

n2ea
jimjarvis at ieee.org