Re: Topband: NA activity + Inv-L corner insulator

On 9/25/2021 7:19 PM, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote: Re the Flexweave, I didn't recognize the name so I googled it, and who knew...?  It sounds like it might work very well for the whole inverted L, and these days it's not appreciably more expensive than #14 THHN. I don't recommend it. I bought severa

Re: Topband: NA activity + Inv-L corner insulator

I had to laugh - I'm sure that the couple of box wrenches I lost in the trees behind my townhouse in Reston, VA are still there - or if not, do you suppose people thought they grew there somehow? Re the Flexweave, I didn't recognize the name so I googled it, and who knew...?  It sounds like it

Re: Topband: NA activity + Inv-L corner insulator

In the pulley snag conundrum, I found that the small marine grade stainless steel, ball bearing pulleys would handle the black sheathed 3/16 in parachute cord style rope and never a snag. They also pull very easy as the bearing never freezes up from exposure to merely (vs. salt) water. I also have

Re: Topband: NA activity + Inv-L corner insulator

On 9/25/2021 1:23 PM, w3...@roadrunner.com wrote: I dont use pullies since so often the rope slips off the roller and into the crack between the roller and the U-bracket. So I just tied a rope to the other side of the insulator and hoist. This suggests a mismatch of pulley dimensions to rope di

Re: Topband: Corner insulator of Inverted L

On 9/25/2021 10:19 AM, Mike Smith VE9AA wrote: For a little better access, I could've put the rope through a pulley, but ropes tend to last longer if just going over branches around hereor so it seems. Ropes and wires through (cheap) pulleys tend to break them. I've experienced exactly the

Topband: NA activity + Inv-L corner insulator

. Here in Ohio we are still having moderate QRN especially in the evenings. When I get on at our SR, the VK/ZL boys are often coming through fairly well with much less QRN. My INV-L has a ceramic insulator at the apex, which is held in place by 3/16" black synthetic rope of some kind ( Home Depot

Re: Topband: Corner insulator of Inverted L

Thanks everyone who replied - I think I have a handle on it now 73, Pete N4ZR Check out the new Reverse Beacon Network web server at . For spots, please use your favorite "retail" DX cluster. On 9/25/2021 9:32 AM, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote: I'm in the process of put

Re: Topband: Corner insulator of Inverted L

I'm not sure if this is the right way Pete, but my "corner insulator" on one of my 160m inverted L's is a 1/2" x 90* grey electrical type of PVC elbow that I bent using a heat gun. You could also buy them premade at home depot or whatever. I threw a rope over a Maple tree and tied and taped the e

Re: Topband: Corner insulator of Inverted L

Hi Pete, One of the best ways to figure out how to rig antenna wires for long reliable life is to examine how power companies and trolley lines rig their wires. I have many 280 foot diameter quad loops with the corners hundreds of feet high and supported at the corners by ropes. The loops

Topband: North American Activity

DX propagation continues to be pretty good on 160m . . . as indicated by RBN reports, and the odd QSO. But despite quite a lot of us Europeans coming on the band most nights, there seems to be very little response from NA stations. Maybe there will be more activity tonight . . . 73 Roger G3YRO

Topband: Corner insulator of Inverted L

I'm in the process of putting my inverted L back up, and have a construction question - how do you position and attach the corner insulator?  My support for the vertical section is an old maple, plenty tall but only really reachable with a pull-up rope by firing a tennis-ball gun over it.  The