I concur with Lou's thoughts here.  My solution for a dipole in the trees is
to put an outdoor scrreen-door type spring or loop two of them together at the
end of each insulator and then run the rope from the other end of the spring.
This allows the antenna to stretch and sway, and should help it remain aloft
unless a limb crashes down on it.  But, like Lew said, if that happens, most
any other antenna would be knocked out too.

I think that is the simplest, as very few verticals perform well without a
good radial system, unless you mount it right at ground level.

Steve, K8SP

----- Original Message -----
From: "Louis Kim Kline" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, August 06, 2005 10:14 AM
Subject: Re: Portable Antenna Needed for HF Rig


Hi Matthew.  The Butternut vertical would probably serve you well.  A lot
of verticals would work if you don't mind putting out radials.  However, I
have found that wire antennas and trees aren't necessarily
incompatible.  You just have to pick a method that will take up the sway of
the trees.  I have used the pulley on the end support with a counterweight
method very successfully.

While it is true that falling limbs can take out a wire antenna, that is
equally true of a vertical as I found out when a large part of my willow
tree took out my first GAP Titan antenna--smashed it flat!

By the way, the GAP will work but it is a lot of money, and I am starting
to find out that it has a way of going away abruptly with near misses from
lightning.  I'm thinking that my next vertical will probably be one of the
butternut antennas.

73, Lou K2LKK


At 09:33 AM 8/6/2005 -0400, you wrote:
>Hi, Folks!  I have an old Tentec 525 Argosy that I want to use at my YL's
>house.  Problem is, I don't have a tower for an antenna and stringing it up
>through the trees isn't a good idea either as we get lots of wind where she
>lives.  Any idea as to where I can find a vertical I can erect, along with
>an automatic antenna tuner?  Will be using 40, 15, and 10 meters, and maybe
>more once I get my general class ticket.  Any ideas would be greatly
>appreciated.--Matthew Chao, N1IBB.

Louis Kim Kline
A.R.S. K2LKK
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