[UK-CONTEST] Wire antennas slung over trees

[g4fka at aol.com]

My only masts are three oak trees at the end of the garden. I've tried  
various techniques over the last couple of years to get halyards over the  
branches. Catapults plus various styles of weights on the end of the line.
 
The most successful, repeatable and controllable weight I've used is two D  
size rechargeable batteries taped end to end, then taped to the end of the 
line.  Enough weight to make sure it goes up and comes down again having straddled 
the  desired branch.
 
I always use insulated stranded wire. I've tried thick and thin  copper wire 
as well. The oak trees here are mature and a fully leafed tree,  particularly 
when wet, really does impact SWR. Trees flex in the wind so  you'll need wire 
that can flex too.
 
The other thing to remember is that trees grow! How quickly they grow up  
determines how tight (or otherwise) to make halyards. How quickly they grow out  
can influence where you run your wires. A convenient gap between the  branches 
that is there one year may not be there the next.
 
Geoff G4FKA