Antenna Tensioners etc

[Nashua Area Radio Society]

I am looking to acquire one or two antenna tensioners like the Vari Ten product I found on the web here: AntennaTensioner.com | Nothing Else Like It!  Looks like a great product and is well reviewed but there is a note on the site that the business has been suspended indefinitely due to hurricane damage (in FL). Any guidance on other products or pre-owned Vari Ten appreciated.

These tensioners will be used in a new antenna installation at my residence in Amherst. I will be putting up a My Antennas EFHW-7510-2K-Plus multiband wire antenna with one end attached to the house and the other to a very tall pine tree. After non-expert study of the tree I see an optimum branch for attaching the antenna but it would seem to take a pro marksperson (a bow to the current wokeness fad)  to put a line over the branch. In any event, I’d prefer to to use a pully attached to the branch to support this end of the antenna and this will likely necessitate climbing the tree. The pulley is intended to allow the use of a spring tensioner or weight to  allow the antenna to accommodate swaying of the tree when the wind blows. The tree looks climbable but this is not something I an going to attempt myself. Any pointers to someone skilled in climbing?

Thanks,

Rick

K8EZB

 

[Nashua Area Radio Society]

All this is is basically a bungee cord inside of a pvc tube prettied up with some end caps and foam balls. Hook up newton scale to the bungee and mark them at whatever tension you want “marked”.

In my experience, throwing a second line with pulley on it first and then running the antenna support line through the pulley is equally good – it allows the tree and the anchored pulley to sway and the pulley rolls along the support line without adding a bunch of tension; the support line stays still and the tree/pulley moves on it. I used stainless steel cable on the pulley line and 3/8 Dacron for the support line and tied them off to different anchors so they don’t move in unison (otherwise it will create tension). I have my 80M loop up with 3 of 4 corners (all but the fed corner) like this and haven’t even needed to even replace a rope in 4 years in NH at 50ft.

You would be surprised the accuracy you can get with a fishing pole, bow and arrow, or slingshot. Usually takes a few (ok maybe more than a few) tries but most times it can be done unless you are trying to break laws of physics and do something that really isn’t possible.

73

Jon

 

[Nashua Area Radio Society]

Hi Jon,

Thanks for the quick response. I think I have the right mental picture of how you did this but the stainless steel cable remains a bit of a mystery. Any chance you can point me to something on the web that illustrates this approach?

 

As far as using a a slingshot or bow & arrow, this may defy physics due to the angles involved, but I’ll check it out a bit further.

 

Thanks,

Rick

K8EZB

[Aron Insinga]

Please remember to use a hardhat and eye protection.  It took a lead sinker bouncing off of a branch and back to my head to pound this lesson in.  And be careful what is on the ground across the branch and in directions a ricochet off of the trunk might take.

[Hamilton]

Hello Rick,

Have spud gun, will travel…  I’m in Amherst also, assuming you mean NH, not OH.

For a vertical dipole I use a 20oz water bottle. For a 80m iV I use two 1 liter soda bottles.

For a 40m delta loop I have a cross over rope at 96′ up between two well spaced pines with a pulley in the center.  The two bottom corners are tied to trees.  The rope lengths are very long over thin branches providing the strain relief. It has been up years a survived several significant wind storms and icing.

Hamilton K1HMS

[Nashua Area Radio Society]

Thanks to all for responses to date.

Hamilton:

Yes, Amherst, NH. You may recall that you generously assisted me about two years ago in replacing some surface mount ICs on a spectrum analyzer PC board. I think compared to your antenna farm, my project really simple. Just one wire from about 60-70 feet up a pine tree to a spot above an upstairs window on the house where the feed point will be located. I have done a fair amount of thinking about how to so this with a minimum of hassle, and, except for getting a wire over the branch in question, I think it is pretty well scoped out. I have begun collecting parts and intend to lay this all out on the ground before attempting getting something into the tree. Your offer of a traveling spud gun is attractive and I’ll check back with you once I have everything organized and return from some extended travel – probably late  May at the earliest. In the spirit of full disclosure, the optimum branch is really up there and in close proximity to other branches; would seem to take some pretty fancy shooting with the spud gun.  While a fair marksman with a .45 pistol, I have never used a spud gun, so this may be a challenge unless your aim is better than mine!

Thanks,

Rick

K8EZB

[Nashua Area Radio Society]

Following up on some earlier posts re putting  a line over a tree limb to erect a wire antenna. I found a variety of devices recommended for this purpose including special slingshots, spud guns, bows, etc. Today I learned of a very simple, safe  and inexpensive approach I hadn’t seen previously. I had an arborist on site doing some routine tree work and asked him about this. He demonstrated the use of a “throw weight” and “throw line,” and quickly put a line over a pine limb 70 ft up and in close proximity to other limbs. Here is a link to the gear he used: Notch Acculine and Throw Weight Combo Kit | TreeStuff  https://www.treestuff.com/notch-equipment/; about $36. He also used a “throw line cube” to hold the throw line, but this isn’t essential, however  may be useful if one is doing this frequently.  Took about 15 minutes which included some time to position the line in exactly the right place. Simple, easy, inexpensive, no maintenance.

 

[Author]

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