[TowerTalk] Putting up wire antennas with a drone?

[Bob Shohet, KQ2M]

The “best” strategy will depend several things:

1) Proficiency with very methods:  drone, sling shot, bow and arrow, commercial alternatives, etc.
2) Importance of permanency of installation – a few days-weeks vs. months-years
3) Cost and willingness to spend “whatever it takes”
4) Immediacy of needed installation – minutes-hours or days-weeks from now?  (see #1 above)
5) Terrain and density of trees/brush around desired tree/branches
6) Height of desired tree/branch
7) Health and strength of installer
8) Weather at the time/day of installation – sunshine or rain, temperature, wind strength and direction

I am sure that there are more “degrees of freedom” that can be added, but the point is that EVERY installation will vary as will each installer and each ham that wants something to be installed.  There is no “one size fits all” and experiences will vary ENORMOUSLY!

I live in VERY dense forest.  And the weather is often a factor as is my state of health.

OTOH, I have become expert with a sling-shot and the materials are relatively easily obtainable and fairly inexpensive.  I can shoot a 2 oz weight to more 95’ vertical height in wind less than 15 mph with very good accuracy.  It generally takes me 1 hour or less to snag the right branch in the right tree with 25 lb fishing line then passing twine and then heavier twine and then 1/4” rope through the desired branch.  It is less than 1 hour if I make it on the first try and sometimes a bit more if takes 4 or 5 tries.  And it can be very frustrating at times given the density of the trees and the branches surrounding the desired branch.  But the total cost is about $2 per line.  The 10 pack of 2 oz. fishing weights are $4 and 225 yds of 25 lb test line is ~ $9.99 and the Marksmen sling shot is ~ $9.99.

If there is a lone branch on a tall tree standing by itself then it is easy and I can be done in 15 minutes.

A face shield is a MUST and I wear a thick glove on my left hand in case the weight hits off center, but this is just common sense to use.

My method would not work for 160’ tree.  But almost anything at 100’ or less could be accomplished without undue patience and concentration.  Occasionally I have to cut down a tree or two to make room for access to the desired tree, but that would have to be done for any other method in order to install an antenna.

And the sling shot can be used ANYWHERE.  Dense woods, ravines, wetlands, etc.  No problem.  Lightweight, portable and takes up very little space in a backpack. 

Below 100’ there is no branch that an arborist can reach that I can’t reach with my slingshot.

The idea of putting in a pulley is great but I will suggest an alternative.  When that line goes up, attach a carabiner to one end of the rope and attach another rope to the bottom of the carabiner.  The put another rope through the carabiner and let that go up as well.  When the carabiner is in the desired place in the tree, simply secure BOTH ends of the carabiner and then pull up the other rope through the carabiner with the antenna attached.

I have used this method successfully for several wire antennas and can easily raise or lower the antenna through carabiner.  If I need to take something down, then I can simply lower the carabiner as well.  

I realize that not everyone can become skilled with a slingshot and that there are other factors that may come into play, but I often get the sense that hams are overcomplicating their installations.  The old “tools” still work well with a little bit of proficiency and flexibility and forethought.  And the convenience of doing it yourself rather than having to wait for someone else’s schedule, is compelling.  As is the potentially ENORMOUS cost-saving!

I still think that having a drone and potentially being able to use it is a cool idea, but it is probably unnecessary in the vast majority of situations.

73 and GL!

Bob  KQ2M


From: Wes Attaway (N5WA) 
Sent: Saturday, June 16, 2018 10:44 PM
To: jim at audiosystemsgroup.com ; towertalk at contesting.com 
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Putting up wire antennas with a drone?

The tree climbers do the best job, as has been discussed.

I have used a tennis ball launcher with good results to put lines over Pine
tree limbs.  Usually I try for something about 70' to 85' or so.  

I have a lot of Pine trees in the yard (plus other trees) and several are
about 100' tall but it is not practical to try to shoot over them and to
string a wire antenna between them.  There are too many limbs to deal with
below the wire and the amount of "waving" of the tree at the top can be
extreme.

The tennis ball launcher does a good job but it is very hard to get a line
into a real good position.  It takes me quite a few shots to get something
that is acceptable.  One problem is that even if the ball goes over the
correct limb then it might also go over some limbs in nearby trees.  This is
a problem that is unavoidable for people in yards with a lot of trees.

There are ways to deal with this but it is a big nuisance.

Patience is a key operative word.

The tree climbers can get a line exactly where you want it, but as Jim says,
they can be expensive. But, after a few days with a tennis ball launcher in
a yard full of trees you may well decide to spend the money for a climber.

   -------------------
Wes Attaway (N5WA)
(318) 393-3289 - Shreveport, LA
Computer/Cellphone Forensics
AttawayForensics.com
   -------------------
-----Original Message-----
From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Jim
Brown
Sent: Saturday, June 16, 2018 4:50 PM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Putting up wire antennas with a drone?

On 6/16/2018 1:56 PM, Bryan Swadener via TowerTalk wrote:
> A dozen years ago, I hired a "climbing arborist" to hang a pulley in the
top of my 85' Cedar tree He passed the rope thru a piece of thick rubber
hose around the tree trunk, and pulled the antenna rope thru the pulley and
down parallel to the tree trunk, to a counterweight.

All of my high wires are rigged through pulleys by climbers. I've used 
several over the 12 years I've been here. The smartest has been the 
arborist, whom I still use when he's available. But because he's good 
and smart, he's also very busy. They're expensive -- the going rate is 
$850/day for a 6 hour day for the climber and his groundsman, and when 
the trees are as tall as mine are (they're climbing at least 160 ft), 
one tree per day is all they can accomplish.

73, Jim K9YC

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