Re: Topband: cheap radial wire?

[n0tt1]

That's right...it's insulated and is used for "invisible" dog fencing. 
I've used it
and it's just fine for radials.  It's tinned copper, at least mine was
and
it came in 500ft spools.

I've also used the military "surplus" WD1-A wire.  It has steel strands
and
tinned copper strands in a tough-as-nails insulation.  It's spooled up as
a
parallel pair but is easy to separate like AC "zip cord".  The only thing
one has to look
out for is to protect the wire at the "connection end" from
rust/corrosion.  I do
that by using tinned copper eye terminals, slipping on a ~1-1/2" length
of 1/4" glue-lined heat shrink tubing onto a bundle of 4-6 wires that
have ~1/2" 
of the insulation removed.  Twist wires together, slip into the terminal
and crimp, then solder to seal off the "barrel" next to the ring.  Next,
slip on the heat-shrink tubing, squirt in a small mount of silicone
ignition
grease (buy at a auto store) in the radial end of the tubing, then heat
shrink
it on the terminal, allowing the terminal end of the tubing to shrink
around
the barrel of the terminal so that the tubing won't have a tendancy to
slide off.  Some of the silicone grease will squirt out, indicating that
it
has likely worked its way around the wires.  

All of that sounds a bit fussy and time consuming, but if it's done in a
kind of assembly line fashion it doesn't take long at all.  I connected
more than 1260 radials on my 7-mhz 9-circle array doing that.

BTW, it is NOT necessary to seal the "distant end" of the WD1-A.  I've
done
tests on that and water doesn't penetrate more than ~1/16" under the
insulation.
There appears to be a kind of dried sealant around the wires.

73,
Charlie, N0TT

On Tue, 9 Nov 2021 10:01:30 -0700 W0MU Mike Fatchett 
writes:
> I believe this wire is insulated.  It is for things like an 
> invisible 
> fence.  I am not sure what it is made of.
> 
> W0MU
> 
> On 11/9/2021 9:21 AM, Rob Atkinson wrote:
> >> Dog electronic fence wire via ebay.
> > Bad idea, except maybe for field day or some other temporary setup 
> due
> > to rust.  Also, long thin runs of steel may not return RF well.
> >
> > For permanence it's a lot better to invest in 3000 feet copper 
> that
> > can provide sixty 50 foot radials.  That will at least get you in 
> fair
> > shape with an inverted L.  But, I get that copper price is out of
> > sight now so if you don't mind  wasted effort, experimentation 
> with
> > cheaper alternatives might be worth it.  Just be prepared to have 
> them
> > rust away or vanish in the case of aluminum.  It might be 
> advisable to
> > find out about your soil acidity before doing anything.
> >
> > Rob
> > K5UJ
> > _
> > Searchable Archives:http://www.contesting.com/_topband  - Topband 
> Reflector
> _
> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband 
> Reflector
> 

_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 227, Issue 8

[Fraser Robertson]

I bought a conyne delta kite for lifting antennas once. It had 400' of cord on 
it and would sit there high in the sky not moving.  Sadly I never had the 
opportunity to hang an antenna from it. You need a lot of space, with no trees.

73, Fraser G4BJM


Get Outlook for Android

From: Jim Kinney 
Sent: Tuesday, November 9, 2021 2:27:43 PM
To: Fraser Robertson 
Cc: Greg Chartrand ; topband@contesting.com 

Subject: Re: Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 227, Issue 8

What about using a kite?  Dad used to have a WW2 Air Force box kite used for 
emergency communication by downed pilots.  We didn't have the antenna wire so 
it usually broke whatever string we tried to fly it with, but it would easily 
have lifted a 160m vertical.
Jim WE4S

Get BlueMail for Android
On Nov 9, 2021, at 5:37 AM, Fraser Robertson 
mailto:g4...@hotmail.com>> wrote:

I did this some decades back using met balloons, they were about 4-5' diameter, 
supporting a 1/2 wave or 5/8 antenna. The wire must have a DC path to ground to 
discharge static.

I bought the balloons from a carnival novelty shop!

They work great of course, but no use if it's windy.

There was a company selling helikites, a cross between a kite and a balloon, 
not sure if they're still around though.

73 Fraser G4BJM

Get Outlook for Android


From: Topband 
http://hotmail.com>@contesting.com> on 
behalf of Greg Chartrand via Topband 
Sent: Monday, November 8, 2021 11:38:12 PM
To: topband@contesting.com 
Subject: Re: Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 227, Issue 8

look at this160m-balloon-antenna


|
|
|
|  |  |

 |

 |
|
|  |
160m-balloon-antenna


 |

 |

 |




-Greg ChartrandRichland, WA.

On Monday, November 8, 2021, 03:03:33 PM PST, 
topband-requ...@contesting.com  wrote:

 Send Topband mailing list submissions to
topband@contesting.com

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/topband
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
topband-requ...@contesting.com

You can reach the person managing the list at
topband-ow...@contesting.com

When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of Topband digest..."


Today's Topics:

  1. Balloon Supported Vertical (Dick Bingham)
  2. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Jim Brown)
  3. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Pete Smith N4ZR)
  4. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Mark - N5OT)
  5. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (W7TMT - Patrick)
  6. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (W7TMT - Patrick)
  7. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Adrian)
  8. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Adrian)
  9. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Mike Smith VE9AA)
  10. cheap radial wire? (Greg Davis)
  11. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Adrian)
  12. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Mark - N5OT)
  13. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Adrian)





Message: 1
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 2021 12:48:14 -0800
From: Dick Bingham 
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Topband: Balloon Supported Vertical
Message-ID: 
Content-Type: text/plain;charset=us-ascii

Greetings All

I want to try a balloon supported Vertical for 160.
Any advice on sources for balloons? Mylar material
and diameters up to 2-feet would be my choice.

73. Dick/w7wkr at CN97uj





Message: 2
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 2021 13:00:25 -0800
From: Jim Brown 
To: topband@contesting.com
Cc: W6JTI 
Subject: Re: Topband: Balloon Supported Vertical
Message-ID:

Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed

On 11/8/2021 12:48 PM, Dick Bingham wrote:
 I want to try a balloon supported Vertical for 160.
 Any advice on sources for balloons? Mylar material
 and diameters up to 2-feet would be my choice.

W6JTI and W4EF are two guys I know who have done it (and JTI still does,
although he's been finding helium expensive in the last few years).

73, Jim K9YC





Message: 3
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 2021 16:16:56 -0500
From: Pete Smith N4ZR 
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: Balloon Supported Vertical
Message-ID: 
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed

Here's an interesting source -
https://balloonmarket.co.uk/lift-ability.? Looks like one of the last
couple in the table should be big enough - say 5 feet in diameter for
starters.

73, Pete N4ZR
Check out the new Reverse Beacon Network
web server at.
For spots, please use your favorite
"retail" DX cluster.

On 11/8/2021 4:00 PM, Jim Brown wrote:
 On 11/8/2021 12:48 PM, Dick Bingham wrote:
 I want to try a balloon supported Vertical for 160.
 Any advice on sources for balloons? Mylar material
 and diameters up to 2-feet would be my choice.

 W6JTI and W4EF are two guys I know who have done it (and JTI still
 does, although he's been finding helium 

Topband: Balloon Supported Vertical

[Dick Bingham]

Greetings to  All !

Thank you to everyone who has responded to my original note.

Looks like I will have to do my own search for the balloons as
no one included a source for them BUT did include lots of great
user info.

Again, thanks.

As in my past, I will be generating the H2 gas where chillers are
used to control the rate of gas generation (minimizes H2O vapor
condensing inside the balloon).

A medium sized party balloon supported my first attempt at a
L/2 160-meter vertical that used thin wire (maybe #28). In
still air it was nearly vertical above me but in the wind it would
approach 45-degree angles to the horizon.

All worked well and I was able to work many East coast QSO's
(70-W) until it started raining. The added weight of water on the
balloon brought it to the ground. Some will say the losses using
such small wire are excessive - probably true - but while it was
operational, it performed better than any antenna I could hide
at my HOA antenna restricted QTH.

Again, my thank you to everyone who responded.

73  Dick - w7wkr at CN97uj
_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: Balloon Supported Vertical

[W0MU Mike Fatchett]

We tried a balloon vertical at V47 in the 80's.  We used an advertising 
balloon.  It kinda worked but it kept getting pin holes in it.  We 
believe it was from the sand in the air.  Our location was just off the 
end of the runway in St. Kitts. We got a visit from some official 
looking official's but they just looked at it and left.  The helium cost 
us about 500 dollars if I remember right.


The new kite type balloons probably would work much better.

W0MU

On 11/9/2021 8:10 AM, Grant Saviers wrote:
Having watched/been watched by the TARS aerostat radar off the coast 
of FL, I would think that the "balloon" shape that generates lift with 
wind would be the better choice for 160m verticals.


Helikite also balloon plus kite
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allsopp_Helikite

Never tried one, but then a challenge is the wire strong enough to 
counter the max wind lift.


Grant KZ1W

On 11/8/2021 18:24, W7TMT - Patrick wrote:
As others have mentioned losing the balloon and/or getting hung up in 
nearby hazards is a serious risk. Consider this, learned from flying 
them from my sailboat.


What if the tether point for the balloon is raised above the 
surrounding terrain? In my case I was trying to make a 45-50 
foot/13-15 meter vertical longer. My setup involved raising the 
tether point for the balloon above the ground/feed-point. The tether 
point for the balloon was nearly 50 feet/15 meters above the water so 
when the wind blew it was pivoting at that point rather than at 
ground level and subjected to all the closer hazards.


Have a pushup mast? Try setting it up so the balloon is actually 
tethered from the top of the mast rather than at ground level. This 
is a whole new ballgame. A scrap of graph ruled paper will easily 
sort it all out.


I got it down during the day by using a plastic cable tie ring slid 
over the wire and attached to a piece of fishing line. Walking away 
from the mast allowed me to pull on the ring and get the down-pull 
process started. Once a bit of the support wire/line moved thru the 
ring the rest came down easily.


At the time the boat was out on the end of a dock with no other 
sailboats and their pesky masts close by. Even when the 20+ knot 
winds were laying the balloon supported wire almost horizontal it was 
free of physical hazards. While the transition from vertical to 
Inverted L during the gusts made the tuner in rig go nuts at least 
there was no physical damage.


Just an option to consider.

W7TMT
_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband 
Reflector



_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband 
Reflector

_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: cheap radial wire?

[James Wolf]

I would add to the conversation that you must know what type of insulation is 
on the wire.  I picked up about 5000 ft. of 20 ga. wire at a hamfest and I used 
it to put down about 70 radials on my shunt fed tower.  I also used it for a 
dog fence.  About four years later, the dog fence wire started failing.  The 
insulation had gotten hard and would crack.  Once it cracked, I assume that the 
moisture in the ground along with the soil acidity dissolved the wire.   I 
don't know what the insulation was, but I had to completely re-do both the dog 
fence and the radial field.  I went with Teflon insulation 30 years ago and 
have not had a failure.
I've not heard of dog fence wire insulation failing, so there must be 
insulation on it that will endure the conditions in the ground.  

Jim - KR9U

_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: cheap radial wire?

[W0MU Mike Fatchett]

I believe this wire is insulated.  It is for things like an invisible 
fence.  I am not sure what it is made of.


W0MU

On 11/9/2021 9:21 AM, Rob Atkinson wrote:

Dog electronic fence wire via ebay.

Bad idea, except maybe for field day or some other temporary setup due
to rust.  Also, long thin runs of steel may not return RF well.

For permanence it's a lot better to invest in 3000 feet copper that
can provide sixty 50 foot radials.  That will at least get you in fair
shape with an inverted L.  But, I get that copper price is out of
sight now so if you don't mind  wasted effort, experimentation with
cheaper alternatives might be worth it.  Just be prepared to have them
rust away or vanish in the case of aluminum.  It might be advisable to
find out about your soil acidity before doing anything.

Rob
K5UJ
_
Searchable Archives:http://www.contesting.com/_topband  - Topband Reflector

_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: cheap radial wire?

[Rob Atkinson]

> Dog electronic fence wire via ebay.

Bad idea, except maybe for field day or some other temporary setup due
to rust.  Also, long thin runs of steel may not return RF well.

For permanence it's a lot better to invest in 3000 feet copper that
can provide sixty 50 foot radials.  That will at least get you in fair
shape with an inverted L.  But, I get that copper price is out of
sight now so if you don't mind  wasted effort, experimentation with
cheaper alternatives might be worth it.  Just be prepared to have them
rust away or vanish in the case of aluminum.  It might be advisable to
find out about your soil acidity before doing anything.

Rob
K5UJ
_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: Balloon Supported Vertical

[Rob Atkinson]

I'd look into some kind of drone for this.

Rob
K5UJ
_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: Balloon Supported Vertical

[Grant Saviers]

Having watched/been watched by the TARS aerostat radar off the coast of 
FL, I would think that the "balloon" shape that generates lift with wind 
would be the better choice for 160m verticals.


Helikite also balloon plus kite
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allsopp_Helikite

Never tried one, but then a challenge is the wire strong enough to 
counter the max wind lift.


Grant KZ1W

On 11/8/2021 18:24, W7TMT - Patrick wrote:

As others have mentioned losing the balloon and/or getting hung up in nearby 
hazards is a serious risk. Consider this, learned from flying them from my 
sailboat.

What if the tether point for the balloon is raised above the surrounding 
terrain? In my case I was trying to make a 45-50 foot/13-15 meter vertical 
longer. My setup involved raising the tether point for the balloon above the 
ground/feed-point. The tether point for the balloon was nearly 50 feet/15 
meters above the water so when the wind blew it was pivoting at that point 
rather than at ground level and subjected to all the closer hazards.

Have a pushup mast? Try setting it up so the balloon is actually tethered from 
the top of the mast rather than at ground level. This is a whole new ballgame. 
A scrap of graph ruled paper will easily sort it all out.

I got it down during the day by using a plastic cable tie ring slid over the 
wire and attached to a piece of fishing line. Walking away from the mast 
allowed me to pull on the ring and get the down-pull process started. Once a 
bit of the support wire/line moved thru the ring the rest came down easily.

At the time the boat was out on the end of a dock with no other sailboats and 
their pesky masts close by. Even when the 20+ knot winds were laying the 
balloon supported wire almost horizontal it was free of physical hazards. While 
the transition from vertical to Inverted L during the gusts made the tuner in 
rig go nuts at least there was no physical damage.

Just an option to consider.

W7TMT
_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector


_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 227, Issue 8

[Jim Kinney]

What about using a kite?  Dad used to have a WW2 Air Force box kite used for 
emergency communication by downed pilots.  We didn't have the antenna wire so 
it usually broke whatever string we tried to fly it with, but it would easily 
have lifted a 160m vertical.
Jim WE4S

⁣Get BlueMail for Android ​

On Nov 9, 2021, 5:37 AM, at 5:37 AM, Fraser Robertson  wrote:
>I did this some decades back using met balloons, they were about 4-5'
>diameter, supporting a 1/2 wave or 5/8 antenna. The wire must have a DC
>path to ground to discharge static.
>
>I bought the balloons from a carnival novelty shop!
>
>They work great of course, but no use if it's windy.
>
>There was a company selling helikites, a cross between a kite and a
>balloon, not sure if they're still around though.
>
>73 Fraser G4BJM
>
>Get Outlook for Android
>
>From: Topband  on
>behalf of Greg Chartrand via Topband 
>Sent: Monday, November 8, 2021 11:38:12 PM
>To: topband@contesting.com 
>Subject: Re: Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 227, Issue 8
>
>look at this160m-balloon-antenna
>
>
>|
>|
>|
>|  |  |
>
> |
>
> |
>|
>|  |
>160m-balloon-antenna
>
>
> |
>
> |
>
> |
>
>
>
>
>-Greg ChartrandRichland, WA.
>
>On Monday, November 8, 2021, 03:03:33 PM PST,
>topband-requ...@contesting.com  wrote:
>
> Send Topband mailing list submissions to
>topband@contesting.com
>
>To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
>http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/topband
>or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
>topband-requ...@contesting.com
>
>You can reach the person managing the list at
>topband-ow...@contesting.com
>
>When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
>than "Re: Contents of Topband digest..."
>
>
>Today's Topics:
>
>  1. Balloon Supported Vertical (Dick Bingham)
>  2. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Jim Brown)
>  3. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Pete Smith N4ZR)
>  4. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Mark - N5OT)
>  5. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (W7TMT - Patrick)
>  6. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (W7TMT - Patrick)
>  7. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Adrian)
>  8. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Adrian)
>  9. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Mike Smith VE9AA)
>  10. cheap radial wire? (Greg Davis)
>  11. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Adrian)
>  12. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Mark - N5OT)
>  13. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Adrian)
>
>
>--
>
>Message: 1
>Date: Mon, 8 Nov 2021 12:48:14 -0800
>From: Dick Bingham 
>To: topband@contesting.com
>Subject: Topband: Balloon Supported Vertical
>Message-ID: 
>Content-Type: text/plain;charset=us-ascii
>
>Greetings All
>
>I want to try a balloon supported Vertical for 160.
>Any advice on sources for balloons? Mylar material
>and diameters up to 2-feet would be my choice.
>
>73. Dick/w7wkr at CN97uj
>
>
>--
>
>Message: 2
>Date: Mon, 8 Nov 2021 13:00:25 -0800
>From: Jim Brown 
>To: topband@contesting.com
>Cc: W6JTI 
>Subject: Re: Topband: Balloon Supported Vertical
>Message-ID:
>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
>
>On 11/8/2021 12:48 PM, Dick Bingham wrote:
>> I want to try a balloon supported Vertical for 160.
>> Any advice on sources for balloons? Mylar material
>> and diameters up to 2-feet would be my choice.
>
>W6JTI and W4EF are two guys I know who have done it (and JTI still
>does,
>although he's been finding helium expensive in the last few years).
>
>73, Jim K9YC
>
>
>--
>
>Message: 3
>Date: Mon, 8 Nov 2021 16:16:56 -0500
>From: Pete Smith N4ZR 
>To: topband@contesting.com
>Subject: Re: Topband: Balloon Supported Vertical
>Message-ID: 
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
>
>Here's an interesting source -
>https://balloonmarket.co.uk/lift-ability.? Looks like one of the last
>couple in the table should be big enough - say 5 feet in diameter for
>starters.
>
>73, Pete N4ZR
>Check out the new Reverse Beacon Network
>web server at.
>For spots, please use your favorite
>"retail" DX cluster.
>
>On 11/8/2021 4:00 PM, Jim Brown wrote:
>> On 11/8/2021 12:48 PM, Dick Bingham wrote:
>>> I want to try a balloon supported Vertical for 160.
>>> Any advice on sources for balloons? Mylar material
>>> and diameters up to 2-feet would be my choice.
>>
>> W6JTI and W4EF are two guys I know who have done it (and JTI still
>> does, although he's been finding helium expensive in the last few
>years).
>>
>> 73, Jim K9YC
>> _
>> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband
>> Reflector
>
>--
>
>Message: 4
>Date: Mon, 8 Nov 2021 15:17:53 -0600
>From: Mark - N5OT 
>To: TopBand List 
>Subject: Re: Topband: Balloon Supported Vertical
>Message-ID: 
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
>

Re: Topband: cheap radial wire?

[Greg Davis]

I got too many replies to reply to each of you individually, but thanks to
all of you for many helpful suggestions and recommendations.

I appreciate it and hope to have a much louder signal on 160m before too
long.

73 de Greg N3ZL

On Mon, Nov 8, 2021 at 5:20 PM Greg Davis  wrote:

> Hello Topbanders,
>
> I recently reached out directly to a few people who had posted
> recently(ish) to this email reflector who had described purchasing large
> amounts of wire for radials at a (relative) bargain price.
>
> However, after a couple of weeks of waiting, none of those emails have been
> responded to. I've got a new-and-improved plan for my 160m vertical in my
> back yard, but, at this moment in time, the biggest thing holding me back
> is the wire for a sufficient radial field. Do any of you have spools of
> wire you're willing to sell to me if the price is right? Or suggestions for
> me where I can purchase it for a reasonable price?
>
> Thank you.
>
> 73 de Greg N3ZL
> _
> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband
> Reflector
>
_
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector

Re: Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 227, Issue 8

[Fraser Robertson]

I did this some decades back using met balloons, they were about 4-5' diameter, 
supporting a 1/2 wave or 5/8 antenna. The wire must have a DC path to ground to 
discharge static.

I bought the balloons from a carnival novelty shop!

They work great of course, but no use if it's windy.

There was a company selling helikites, a cross between a kite and a balloon, 
not sure if they're still around though.

73 Fraser G4BJM

Get Outlook for Android

From: Topband  on behalf of 
Greg Chartrand via Topband 
Sent: Monday, November 8, 2021 11:38:12 PM
To: topband@contesting.com 
Subject: Re: Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 227, Issue 8

look at this160m-balloon-antenna


|
|
|
|  |  |

 |

 |
|
|  |
160m-balloon-antenna


 |

 |

 |




-Greg ChartrandRichland, WA.

On Monday, November 8, 2021, 03:03:33 PM PST, 
topband-requ...@contesting.com  wrote:

 Send Topband mailing list submissions to
topband@contesting.com

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/topband
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
topband-requ...@contesting.com

You can reach the person managing the list at
topband-ow...@contesting.com

When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of Topband digest..."


Today's Topics:

  1. Balloon Supported Vertical (Dick Bingham)
  2. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Jim Brown)
  3. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Pete Smith N4ZR)
  4. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Mark - N5OT)
  5. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (W7TMT - Patrick)
  6. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (W7TMT - Patrick)
  7. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Adrian)
  8. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Adrian)
  9. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Mike Smith VE9AA)
  10. cheap radial wire? (Greg Davis)
  11. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Adrian)
  12. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Mark - N5OT)
  13. Re: Balloon Supported Vertical (Adrian)


--

Message: 1
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 2021 12:48:14 -0800
From: Dick Bingham 
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Topband: Balloon Supported Vertical
Message-ID: 
Content-Type: text/plain;charset=us-ascii

Greetings All

I want to try a balloon supported Vertical for 160.
Any advice on sources for balloons? Mylar material
and diameters up to 2-feet would be my choice.

73. Dick/w7wkr at CN97uj


--

Message: 2
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 2021 13:00:25 -0800
From: Jim Brown 
To: topband@contesting.com
Cc: W6JTI 
Subject: Re: Topband: Balloon Supported Vertical
Message-ID:

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On 11/8/2021 12:48 PM, Dick Bingham wrote:
> I want to try a balloon supported Vertical for 160.
> Any advice on sources for balloons? Mylar material
> and diameters up to 2-feet would be my choice.

W6JTI and W4EF are two guys I know who have done it (and JTI still does,
although he's been finding helium expensive in the last few years).

73, Jim K9YC


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Message: 3
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 2021 16:16:56 -0500
From: Pete Smith N4ZR 
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: Balloon Supported Vertical
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Here's an interesting source -
https://balloonmarket.co.uk/lift-ability.? Looks like one of the last
couple in the table should be big enough - say 5 feet in diameter for
starters.

73, Pete N4ZR
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web server at.
For spots, please use your favorite
"retail" DX cluster.

On 11/8/2021 4:00 PM, Jim Brown wrote:
> On 11/8/2021 12:48 PM, Dick Bingham wrote:
>> I want to try a balloon supported Vertical for 160.
>> Any advice on sources for balloons? Mylar material
>> and diameters up to 2-feet would be my choice.
>
> W6JTI and W4EF are two guys I know who have done it (and JTI still
> does, although he's been finding helium expensive in the last few years).
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
> _
> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband
> Reflector

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Message: 4
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 2021 15:17:53 -0600
From: Mark - N5OT 
To: TopBand List 
Subject: Re: Topband: Balloon Supported Vertical
Message-ID: 
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Been There Done That

You might want to figure the weight of what you have to lift.? One would
think it was, like, duh, you make a wire vertical and fill a balloon
full of helium and ... but it turns out you need to be careful about the
weight of the wire and insulators and you need to project how much
helium you can use and how much lift you will need and ... all that.

Just saying all that because the last thing you want to find out is,
after you've got it all together, you just can't get it up in the air.

I seem to