[TowerTalk] lines into trees

[Richard Hill]

I used a slingshot and lead weights until someone told me they always got
stuck in the tree <grin>.  I need to put a line in a redwood every so often,
and the slingshot only works when it is dry and dusty.  I use a bowhunting
"Game Tracker" 17 pound line.  It works well, but the sling shot needs 1
ounce or lighter weights. 
(For reference: http://www.archerysportsusa.com/store/index.cfm/c58/i844 no
connection, just pulled the link off the web).

I started off tossing a 2 ounce fishing weight with a fishing rod, and found
that worked well, but I was concerned about having the heavy sinker escape
and disturb the neighbors.

I've ordered a tennis ball launcher, and I think that is a good tool, but
I've finally realized that I could toss the tennis ball with a surf casting
rod, and that also works very well.  My redwood needs about 3 ounces (33
pennies) in the tennis ball to easily slide through the branches when wet. I
use 40 # stiff monofilament, because that is what is on the rod.

Rich
NU6T

-----Original Message-----
From: Dennis Ashworth [mailto:k7fl at arrl.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2008 10:56 AM
To: towertalk
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] lines into trees

I wrote an article for "Hinks & Kinks" some years about using a 
slingshot and fishing line/weights for launching lines into trees. It 
may still be in the ARRL Handbook - it was for many years. There are 
now several commercial products for this purpose on the market so I 
won't repeat the details here. But I will add one thing. My 
experience with shooting fishing sinkers is that the weight will 
often loop over tree limbs. When this occurs your only recourse is to 
break the line and try again. The problem is the line usually breaks 
at some random point along the line often leaving unsightly 
monofilament line dangling from the tree.To avoid this and retrieve 
the line (and frequently the sinker) one should use a few feet of 
lighter weight leader between the weight and the main line. This 
ensures the line will break near the sinker ... almost without 
exception the sinker will drop as will the main line.

I use 25# monofilament, 8-12# leader and 2 oz sinker.

Have fun - I've used a slingshot for many years with 100 foot fir 
trees with excellent success.

Dennis, K7FL
Battle Ground, WA

==

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