[TowerTalk] Dipole end insulators

Wed Jul 1 14:55:38 EDT 2020

I have used pieces of plastic chain.   

It costs $1.50 a foot in hardware stores.  Buy one foot and use six inches on each end.  Cheap way, but it works.  

73
Fred W3ICM
Sent from my iPhone

> On Jul 1, 2020, at 12:01 PM, towertalk-request at contesting.com wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
> 
>   1. Re: Do I need an insulator on the ends of my dipole?
>      (Kevin Zembower)
>   2. Re: Do I need an insulator on the ends of my dipole? (Ken WA8JXM)
>   3. Buck stop Model 54V116S1 (W1JCW John)
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2020 14:44:45 -0400
> From: Kevin Zembower <kzembower at verizon.net>
> To: TowerTalk at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Do I need an insulator on the ends of my
>    dipole?
> Message-ID: <0b1067ce-16cb-cf8c-1334-9cd360112d63 at verizon.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
> 
> Thank you all for the suggestions and advice. I never thought it would 
> generate so many and such wide ranging responses.
> 
> I'll probably go with insulators on the ends of the wire dipole, but 
> probably don't need the fins and larger size of the Budwig. I'm thinking 
> of just a narrow, thin piece of plexiglass or Lexan, with holes drilled 
> in the ends, or a piece of plastic rod, like are often used to adjust 
> Venetian blinds. Or, I thought of just 6-12 inches of thicker, 100 lb. 
> test monofilament nylon fishing line, tied to a thimble in the wire and 
> the other end to the rope. Even when wet, I don't think that would have 
> much conductance.
> 
> Thanks, again, for all your help.
> 
> -Kevin
> KC3KZ
> 
>> On 6/26/20 2:07 PM, Kevin Zembower wrote:
>> Hello,
>> 
>> I'm replacing my 40/20/10M fan dipole with an even more stealthy one, 
>> using small gauge insulated stranded copper-clad steel. The suspension 
>> goes from a post in my back yard, to a mast on the peak of my roof, to a 
>> tree in the front of the yard. At both ends, there's at least 10 feet of 
>> nylon cord.
>> 
>> Currently, there's a ceramic insulator at each end of the dipole, 
>> between the dipole wire and the nylon cord. Do I need any kind of 
>> insulator? Isn't the nylon cord an insulator? I can work out the 
>> mechanical stress with thimble eyes. Why do I need an insulator?
>> 
>> I only run 100W maximum with my system max.
>> 
>> Thanks for your advice and guidance.
>> 
>> -Kevin
>> KC3KZ
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2020 19:58:56 -0400
> From: Ken WA8JXM <wa8jxm at gmail.com>
> To: Kevin Zembower <kzembower at verizon.net>
> Cc: Towertalk <TowerTalk at contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Do I need an insulator on the ends of my
>    dipole?
> Message-ID:
>    <CAABDLm1exrkJPHOMKwwL9uD3z60Z=hbkOY=nG3XeA3bY_m3DkQ at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
> 
> Cut pieces of plastic clothes hangers and drill holes in the ends for
> cheap, lightweight, hard to see, insulators.  That's what I use for
> homemade open wire feedline spacers.
> 
> Ken WA8JXM
> 
> On Tue, Jun 30, 2020 at 2:44 PM Kevin Zembower via TowerTalk <
> towertalk at contesting.com> wrote:
> 
>> Thank you all for the suggestions and advice. I never thought it would
>> generate so many and such wide ranging responses.
>> 
>> I'll probably go with insulators on the ends of the wire dipole, but
>> probably don't need the fins and larger size of the Budwig. I'm thinking
>> of just a narrow, thin piece of plexiglass or Lexan, with holes drilled
>> in the ends, or a piece of plastic rod, like are often used to adjust
>> Venetian blinds. Or, I thought of just 6-12 inches of thicker, 100 lb.
>> test monofilament nylon fishing line, tied to a thimble in the wire and
>> the other end to the rope. Even when wet, I don't think that would have
>> much conductance.
>> 
>> Thanks, again, for all your help.
>> 
>> -Kevin
>> KC3KZ
>> 
>>> On 6/26/20 2:07 PM, Kevin Zembower wrote:
>>> Hello,
>>> 
>>> I'm replacing my 40/20/10M fan dipole with an even more stealthy one,
>>> using small gauge insulated stranded copper-clad steel. The suspension
>>> goes from a post in my back yard, to a mast on the peak of my roof, to a
>>> tree in the front of the yard. At both ends, there's at least 10 feet of
>>> nylon cord.
>>> 
>>> Currently, there's a ceramic insulator at each end of the dipole,
>>> between the dipole wire and the nylon cord. Do I need any kind of
>>> insulator? Isn't the nylon cord an insulator? I can work out the
>>> mechanical stress with thimble eyes. Why do I need an insulator?
>>> 
>>> I only run 100W maximum with my system max.
>>> 
>>> Thanks for your advice and guidance.
>>> 
>>> -Kevin
>>> KC3KZ
>> _______________________________________________
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> TowerTalk mailing list
>> TowerTalk at contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 3
> Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2020 15:48:45 +0000
> From: W1JCW John <W1JCW at hotmail.com>
> To: "towertalk at contesting.com" <towertalk at contesting.com>
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Buck stop Model 54V116S1
> Message-ID:
>    <MW3PR13MB39620B0AB980F2C13F56CC93F76C0 at MW3PR13MB3962.namprd13.prod.outlook.com>
>    
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> 
> 
> For Sale 
> 
> https://buckinghammfg.com/products/buck-stop-5vv124s1/
> 
> For full body harness with steel ring dorsal attachment.
> 
> Length-6ft.
> 
> Meets ASTM F887 Electric ARC 
> 
> New in package $120 plus shipping. 
> 
> 
> 73-
> W1JCW
> John
> 
> .
> 
> 
> 
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> End of TowerTalk Digest, Vol 211, Issue 1
> *****************************************