I wanted to make an article that would explain to anyone who visits my home or QTH that would answer the question on “How did you get that rope so high in the trees and how did you get that rope over the perfect branch?
I started out with a fishing pole and a 4-inch long stick from the woods. After a few attempts of getting the stick up and over the tree with the fishing line it finally made it over the tree and back to the ground. I then reeled in all the fishing line while pulling a string over the tree. After the string, I used it to pull over 3/8” poly rope.
I came up with the following idea to get a rope over the perfect branch.
The 3/8″ line holds an old branch from the woods in the center. The yellow rope to the left is the “control line” and the right side has a half rotten log as a weight secured with a slip knot as shown below.
In the diagram below the light blue line represents the yellow control line from the photo. As you lift the whole unit you should consider that the weight of the control line may offset your balance as you go higher. The magenta line shows the string with a slip knot. When the half rotten log made it over the desired perfect branch by combinations of pulling the 3/8″ rope at either end (shown black) and/or the control line (shown light blue) I pulled out the slip knot and the half rotten log fell over the perfect branch along with the string (shown magenta).
I replaced the string with rope and then a wire rope loop (shown red). The wire rope will not fade and fall apart from the sun’s UV rays. The yellow circle represents a pulley for the poly rope that holds up the dipole. When the poly rope breaks down from UV, wear and tear it can easily be replaced by lowering the pulley. I added weight to maintain proper tension on the dipole antenna as shown below.
In theory, the tension will remain the same even in wind storms when the trees swing back and forth. It turns out that an old cast iron rotor from my Toyota was the perfect weight for the application!
73,
Mike AB1YK
