[TowerTalk] Fwd: Fwd: How to support a large loop?

[van wd8aam]

Another idea I've never tried, but heard of and on a loop, it might just
work, is to hook a 12vdc power supply with ammeter and voltmeter, and
pump some power into the wire, heating it to warm, watching to make sure
you don't overtax the power supply, and see if the ice melts off the wire.
wd8aam

At 20:32 9/21/2010, you wrote:
>Thanks! I an idea. I can support them with the 
>tube. The tube will break before the wire, 
>thereby saving me from splicing the wires. You 
>shall know that the ice can build up to inches 
>and it doesn't matter what you do, nothing 
>slides with that cover. Maybe if I cover several 
>feet with the tube may I have a chance. Hans - 
>N2JFS Why don't you just cover them with rubber 
>from an old inner tube? wd8aam -----Original 
>Message----- From: van wd8aam 
><vlincoln at frontiernet.net> To: hanslg at aol.com 
>Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2010 4:12 pm Subject: Re: 
>[TowerTalk] Fwd:  How to support a large loop? 
>Why don't you just cover them with rubber from 
>an old inner tube? wd8aam At 18:21 9/21/2010, 
>you wrote: >Hi Jon, I have a 250' windom made of 
>#14 and I >had a 250' Windom made of #12. They 
>were both >supported in the middle as well as 
>the ends. 1" >of ice made them both to come 
>down. I had >similar support with pulleys and 
>counter weights >but the pulleys froze up and 
>the wire were >teared off. Just get use to put 
>them back up >every time they get down. Now I am 
>waiting for >the local zoning board to get their 
>act together >and issue me the tower permit (I 
>applied on >April 19th). That will bring some of 
>the thing s >"to order". 73 de Hans - N2JFS I 
>know that soon, >there will be enough snow to 
>perhaps seize up >the pulleys even though I coat 
>them liberally >with grease.  Also does anyone 
>have any >experience with radial ice on #14 
>insulated long >spans? -----Original 
>Message----- From: W4ZW ><w4zw at comcast.net> To: 
>'Tower and HF antenna >construction topics.' 
><towertalk at contesting.com> >Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 
>2010 1:01 pm Subject: >[TowerTalk] How to 
>support a large loop? I̢۪m >experimentinting 
>with wire antennas here at my >Breckenridge, 
>Colorado, QTH at 10,000̢۪.  I >have the 
>Arapahoe National Fo Forest as my backyard >with 
>Lodgepole pines that range up to >80-100̢۪.  I 
>have had up in the past month a >ha>half-square 
>for 20M at 60̢۪ that worked great, >a 
>WinWindom at 70̢۪, also worked quite well, 
>and >full waveave 80M Delta loop at 70̢۪ that 
>really >worked well. I. I̢۪ve used my bow 
>&arrow, spinning >reel, and parachachute cord to 
>get the supports up, >and have until this past 
>week just tied the >antennas up with enough sag 
>to compensate for >the wind.  When I put up the 
>Delta Loop I used >small sailing pulleys mainly 
>for ease in >adjusting the loop after the two 
>support points >were fixed.  I also thought that 
>letting the #14 >insulated antenna wire 
>“rollâ€Â through the >pulleys would help 
>with the w wind. I just >received my 1000̢۪ 
>spool of flex-weaveave and a >spool of 450 ohm 
>ladder line for my next >project.  It will be a 
>loop approximately >500-550̢۪ with th the 
>lower side about 120̢۪ >long  at 70̢۪, 
>anâ„¢, and  two spans running up at >about a 60 
>degree angle to three support points >up a ridge 
>to Lodgepole pines that will be about >100̢۪ 
>higher than the low end. There we will be >five 
>support points in addition to the 
>feedline >point which will be fixed. My question 
>is should >I firmly attach the flex-weave to 
>each insulator >point and leave enough slack for 
>the wind, or >should I use the sailing pulleys 
>and let the >wire run through them as the wind 
>blows? I know >that soon, there will be enough 
>snow to perhaps >seize up the pulleys even 
>though I coat them >liberally with grease.  Also 
>does anyone have >any experience with radial ice 
>on #14 insulated >long spans? I usually have 1 
>meter of snow back >here, and maintenance then 
>will be an ordeal. >73's from 10,000' Jon 
>Hamlet, W4ZW/Ø >Breckenridge, Colorado 
>80424 >__________________________________________ 
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