[TowerTalk] Antenna Launcher

Sun Dec 25 19:37:27 PST 2011

One of our local radio clubs has built some of the compressed air/tennis ball launchers to sell at ham swap meets over the last year or so, as a club fundraiser. They've been well received - I bought one, and am planning to try it out, launching a line over some of my tall fir trees. 

Does anyone have any recommended brand-names for the "braided kevlar/spectra fishing line" to use with one of these launchers?

LJ

-----Original Message-----
>From: Kevin Normoyle <knormoyle at surfnetusa.com>
>Sent: Dec 25, 2011 10:35 PM
>To: TOWERTALK at contesting.com
>Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Antenna Launcher
>
>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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