[TowerTalk] Do I need an insulator on the ends of my dipole?

[Gary Johnson]

I use clear 1/8 inch acrylic cut in strips 3/4 inch wide, with 1/8 inch holes, as end insulators and spreaders on my stealth fan dipole. 40/30/20m, made of 22 AWG stranded Teflon hookup wire. Supports at center and ends are 1-inch acrylic rod. Supports are close enough to the ends that I use short pieces of wire instead of rope or string. Each side of the antenna weight maybe 1 lb and tension in the wire is maintained by small springs. Maybe 2-3 lbs tension. Been up for over 10 years with zero maintenance. My 80m low dipole is made of 18 AWG magnet wire, pre-stretched. Same insulators. One end uses 1/8 inch UV-resistant rope I found at an outdoor store. All of this is in the face of an HOA who never noticed. The key is to make it small and light so forces very low, and it's also hard to see.

Gary NA6O