Hanging Wire in Trees (#960)

Gregory, W2BEE, Is looking for the best way to get an antenna in the trees as high as possible. Watch to learn more about his problem and what are some different solutions.

Edited and Videographed by Aidan Jakeman

Twitter: @dcasler

[NickFrom]

Trees are my best option so I have a bit of experience in this. I also do back country hiking so I've been doing this for other things as well. I like to use the arborist throw line. The bag is setup to not snag on limbs and the line is strong and also of a type to not snag. With a little practice you can get a line up about 75 feet. The bags don't go far so no issues with long range safety.

As for how to rig up I have found the following works well.
1. Plan for two lines in the tree, both twice as long as the height the antenna will be in the tree.
A. A line to pull up that has a pulley
B. The line that hoists up the antenna
2. Using whatever method works for you, hoist up the pulley. But here's the thing to remember, you need to have your antenna hoist line pulled through the pulley before you hoist up the pulley. Be sure to have the antenna line pulled half way through when you do this. Also note that I have pulley attached to the end of the line but also have a small loop
3. On the antenna line, attach your tension line (bungee cord like you see in tent poles, or whatever, but I like the bungee cord) then attach you antenna to the tension line.
4. I also like to have the antenna hoisting line setup as a loop so I can easily take it down etc if I need to work on the antenna or whatever.
5. If you need to take the pulley down you simply pull both sides of the antenna line down and it should pull the pulley down.
I know I'm skipping some details but if you have questions just post and I'll be glad to explain further. This system works well and covers the main issues of tensioning, being able to maintain the antenna over time, and having a good system to attach with. Hope it helps.

[johnbarslund]

The slingshot fired member that had the arm brace called wrist rockets.

[logankizyw]

love that you compare adding elasticity to capacitors and inductors

[markhall]

diddled with cross bow with fishing reel stuff.. Did well up to say 60 ft. The fishing reel just wasn't as handy as you'd think.. Went with the Arborist Big Shot.. added a home brew trigger and crank. Wow!! Over the tree, no problem. Be careful.. keep the pole between you and the rubber bands.. Triggers can be dangerous.

[Zapruderfilm]

I use the exact brand of launcher( E.Z. Hang ) and it works incredibly well.
I did upgrade the reel that came with it to a decent 20.00 USD spin cast reel and it now works just about flawlessly.👍
73 everyone!

De N1XV

[Desertwolf]

Did this last week: top of the tree was 50' up. Just grabbed my fishing pole with a 1oz. Weight and cast it over the tree... no problem 😉

[jeromemckenna]

We use the station of a good friend who has long wires hung from tall trees. It works very well.

[hamradioeconomystyle]

There are arrows out there for birds. They have special curly feathers that limit their range and speed. Break the tip off and poke the tip into a tennis ball or superball.

[TheUniversalEyes]

I just use a cheap $7 Daisy slingshot, some 30 pound test fishing line and some lead sinkers. Getting lines 100+ feet in the air is no problem.

[sobpolta]

What about an arborist throw line with matching weight seems like the professional way to do it?

[obliqueangler]

A friend uses a Retriever Launcher, and ties braided (twisted) nylon survey line to it. They will easily go 50' + vertical feet The dummies are replaceable but unfortunately close to $20 if they get stuck in the tree. If you can figure out a way to get them high enough for your application, I have used stainless lag screws to secure marine grade pulleys to two tree trunks and fed my *Dacron* guy lines through them. That keeps wear and tear on the guy lines to an absolute minimum. I use counterweights to secure the ends that allow the system to flex when trees sway in the wind.

[davidbrayshaw]

Find someone with a drone. They love showing off their "skills", and you can get a line up as high as you like. I fasten a clothes peg to the bottom of the drone and fasten my feeder line into that, with a fishing sinker hanging off the bottom in order to keep the line clear of the rotors on the drone. When the drone gets close to the ground, I pull the fishing line free from the peg and the drone can fly off freely, without getting tangled.

[jonathanmau]

For any permanent installations, I would recommend polyester line instead of nylon, as polyester has much better UV degredation properties.

[jamescouture]

I use catfish line to support antennas in trees it lasts 3 to 5 years.

[jamesgeorge]

I use the same set up and built mine in 1990 so 30+ years ago I😊 used it just the other day. mine uses a zebco 33 and a deluxe Wrist Rocket. be sure to use at least a 1oz weight and it will not get tangled in branches.

[markturner]

sprung bottom and bungy cord too
i use a spring at the bottom and bungy rope tied off for that movement

[misteraon]

On the cheap, I’ve had success with the cheap dollar store dog tennis balls launchers. Just make a small slit in the tennis ball and insert a sinker with a fish line attached.

There are also arborist throw lines and weights. Seems a lot of POTA guys are using these now. The line is slicker than paracord and heavy enough you can often use it for temporary antenna deployments.

If you really want to go crazy, get a potato gun 🤣

[godarklight]

The only success I've had is with a fishing line and sinker. When using an arrow the fishing line weighed the thing down so much it couldn't clear the nearly 20m high tree we have. It's tricky to let them go at the right time.

[dennisholt]

Recurve bow, heavy fishing reel on lower section of fishing pole with 30lb line, an arrow with 5 or 6 weights to give the arrow weight to drop to the ground. I can hit a 150' oak no problem.

[poorman-trending]

Aim is not a problem with a high quality slingshot and practice.