[TowerTalk] Antenna Launcher

Kevin Normoyle knormoyle at surfnetusa.com
Sun Dec 25 14:35:32 PST 2011


a well designed antenna launcher is great. A bad one is frustrating 
(intermittent, non-consistent launch).

There's a huge difference between a home brewed one, and one from a purchased 
kit that has seen experimental testing and development.
(unless you just copy an existing good design)
I'm not kidding: I've done both. The valve mechanism is critical, as well as 
sizing of the reserve and barrel.

I just use spinning reel with half a fishing pole, held by someone else, for the 
line. (make sure spinning reel is big enough for the amount of line..small reels 
common today)

But the biggest thing nowadays, is to use braided kevlar/spectra fishing line 
for the launch, not monofilament.

Gives better height, and is SO much easier to deal with. It's worth the cost, 
definitely. There's a number of different brands.
also, for equivalent diameter to monofilament, it's much stronger. The woven 
line doesn't tangle like mono.

I can get +-8 feet sideways accuracy at the top of 125' trees, with a vertical 
enough launch so it doesn't hang up in other trees.

-kevin
ad6z



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