[TowerTalk] Lead-Shot Counterweight

[ve4xt at mymts.net]

Hi Jim,

Do you weatherproof your split-bolt or u-clamp connections? 

73, kelly, ve4xt 

Sent from my iPad

> On Sep 24, 2016, at 2:32 PM, Jim Brown <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com> wrote:
> 
>> On Sat,9/24/2016 9:45 AM, Steve Jones wrote:
>> My full-sized 80M dipole is strung between two Douglas firs.  At the end of
>> the rope over the pulley at one end I use a gallon paint thinner can with
>> the top cut off and filled with concrete.  It rides up and down in the wind
>> and keeps the dipole taught.  Maybe it could use a little more weight, like
>> a second such paint can.
> 
> My 80/40 fan dipoles are up about 140 ft and fed with RG11. Trees supporting one of the dipoles are about 200 ft apart, the other about 145 ft. It takes a lot of weight to avoid excessive droop. Ropes at both ends go through a pulley, one end is tied off, the other end has the weight, which is a 13 gallon water jug filled with dry sand. Weight is about 90#
> 
> The 80M element, which carries the tension, is #10 stranded THHN on one antenna and #9 hard drawn copper on the other. The 40M element is #12 THHN. The support rope on the longer run is 7/16-in Synthetic Textiles, the rope on the shorter run is 5/16-in.
> 
> These antennas have been up about 9 years. Mechanical connections and the rope are the weak spots. I've had no failures on the main support, but did have one side of the 40M element break loose from it's connection at the center. When I dropped that antenna to repair it, I rebuilt it to replace the #10 THHN with the hard drawn copper. The other antenna still has #10 THHN for 80M.
> 
> As to mechanical connections. Solder is a VERY BAD idea for wires outside, especially if the soldered segment of the wire can flex or vibrate. My electrical and mechanical connections are made using split-bolt copper connectors. I loop the wire through the mechanical support at the center insulator, strip enough that it 3-4 inches is exposed, and use two split bolts to secure it. The split bolt closest to the center has the wire going to the feedline. At the far end, I use either two split bolts or two U-clamps (with an egg insulator).
> 
> 73, Jim K9YC
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk