Hi

I have couple of trees which are about 70 ft tall and 250ft apart.

I currently have a 204ft doublet suspended between them at a height of about 30ft.

I struggle to get it much higher and was wondering about using a drone or catapult or similar to get a fishing draw line across closer to the top.

Assuming I can get a line across the top I expect it to get snagged on the lower branches much as things are now.

So I was wondering if anyone had any crafty tips on how to maximize the antenna height ?

73 Tim

Not a free option but what is access like to the garden?
You could hire a cherry picker for the day.
There are some pretty sophisticated ones for about £200 a day.
With forward planning that should be plenty of time.

Cheers

Tony

I had considered a cherry picker but the path down to the garden is only about 4-5 feet wide, wide enough for a ride on mower but not wide enough for a cherry picker unless I drive it down thru' next doors garden !

BTW we've moved qth since you paid a visit a few years back.

73 Tim

Where i work we have a tracked boom lift similar to these http://www.jms.co.uk/introduction-to-tracked-booms/
it will travel down a 4foot gap easily and lifts to 50 foot agl.

I should add you need a big pair to be in those baskets that high

You would need an Ipaf licence too with an hired cherry picker... as well as those mahoosive testiclay, I've got a licence still for an 18m boom and scissor lift, on the test we had to boom out to full height, never done it since and would shit myself if I had to, as it was on the test my legs went rigid, bit braver on the scissor lift.

Get someone enthusiastic with a drone ie. teenage nephew and fart around with fishing line to get the run started over the uppermost twigs before hauling up the antenna wire to that 70ft you know will make you a DX legend on 40 and 80... could make a couple of bobtails or a lazy h... don't forget to leave an extra draw string for future antennae too, wish I had some tall trees again...

Not 70ft but here when I needed a string over the house roof ridge I tied fishing line to an apple and threw that over... checked there were no cars out the front first but still a bit ginger looking out the front door after the hurling session!

Cheers, Dave.

How about having a chat with a local Tree Surgeon?

He might not be able to get to the very top, but I'm pretty sure that I would crap out before he did

I was fine with the height doing my ipaf, but did you have to drive the scissor along at full height? That was the scary bit

Fortunately having an Ipaf licence isnt a legal requirement, only that you are competent.
most employers insist on the Pal ticket but thats to satisfy HSE, hire companies dont give a crap. Rented loads never been asked to show my ticket

Same here, have hired and used loads, and often never been even asked.
Only places I have encountered that have been ultra strict, have been large venues like the old NEC etc., where they really want you to use in house rigging and lift to height services at cost, so when you choose to "do it yourself"....(much cheaper!), they insist on all t's crossed and I's dotted just to be as awkward as possible!

Hi

Use a good local tree surgeon who has public liability insurance . A real one not an idiot with a white van and a bow saw.
I work in the same yard as several they would all be willing to do this sort of job. I would but I can not get my fat arse off the ground anymore.

Cheers

Paul

m0pnn

I use a combination of catapult with with some 20Lb fishing line and a 1 or 2 ounce lead. I then attach the fishing line to kevlar kite line and pull through that through trees, finally attach the antenna to the kite line as its stronger than the fishing line and can withstand a good tug if it gets snagged.

I was probably a bit lucky with the scissor lift as that was just a case of taking it out of the warehouse/workshop into the car park and parking against the building then going up to roof level which wasn't much higher than a normal 2 storey house, the scissor lift again I had to steer out of the building but this time park between two cars in the same carpark then legs down and all the time they're watching to make sure you bring the lower arm up first to clear the car roofs when you turn the arm.

I then had to take the cradle initially onto the same roof level as the scissor lift position then swing back round above the parked cars and get the two main arms vertical-ish before booming out the last section, that was the bowel loosening part as you're getting on for 60ft above ground if you're standing up rather than cowering in the bottom of the cradle with your eyes closed... and yes the tilt warning bell does start ringing as soon as the cradle swings more than a few inches away from being happy when it's fully boomed out... terrifying.

I'm probably getting bogged down in site work with the Ipaf card requirement then, maybe depending on the size of the site, but the main contractor will normally want that and Pasma ticket for towers plus ECS card for a sparky plus full PPE ... I jacked in back in February this year and haven't missed a minute of all that sheet!

Cheers, Dave.

Hi guys,

thanks for all the suggestions and comments etc - as it turns out the xyl mentioned that a couple of our trees need trimming, so it looks like we'll be getting a visit from a local tree surgeon before too long and while he's at it he can 're-arrange' my antenna for me !

73 Tim

Get yourself one of these...
Cheap to make put some lead into the missle