Copper Talk » Open Forum » Archived Messages » 2002 » 08/01/2002 to 08/31/2002 » Guy Wires On Maco 5/8 « Previous Next »

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GTO
Posted on Friday, August 02, 2002 - 11:00 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hello
I am getting a new Maco 5/8 wave and will put it on a 30' pole on my roof. I want to know how many feet below the radials can I put the 1st set of guy wires? Also any info on the lenght of the antenna when I put it together to use with a 2980 that goes from 26.065 to 28.305 I usually stay on reg 40 but sometimes go above 40 when the idiots are talking.
THANKS - GTO in the Bayou
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Taz
Posted on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 10:07 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

well if there are wire guy wires you will need insulators on them, ive always found it a hastle to do that. I use parachute cord(mule tape) when I have to guy somthing. And its stronger thanheck too! And cheap!
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GTO
Posted on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 11:27 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks Taz - Where can I get some of that stuff? I have no idea..
GTO
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Tech833
Posted on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 11:50 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

You can attach the top set of guy wires directly under the antenna if you like. And you do not need insulators. As long as the guy wires don't go higher than the antenna's ground planes (the antenna would need to be upside down to do that), it will not harm the antenna's performance in any way.

The Maco 5/8 antenna comes with instructions which tells you exactly how long the antenna needs to be for your frequency range.
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bruce
Posted on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 12:22 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

gto 2 ways put them right at the base and insulate them 102 inches from the base to form a ground plane or go down 9 foot and do the same on 6 meters it worked for me and should at 11
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Taz
Posted on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 1:03 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

well 833, I can prove that wrong! my guy wires caused tvi when i had my imax on a different tower! until I insulated them but found parachute cord works excellent! its invisible to rf. I bought mine at an army surplus store.
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Jellybean
Posted on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 2:30 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I've got my guy wires on my Moonraker 3' below the
verticle radials using normal wire with no problems. I've got first mast into a tripod, rotor on the first mast. Guy wires are attatched to the bottom of the rotor with a 10' section of mast to the MR4. I have six guy wires on this setup. That puts the guy wires about 3' below the verticle radial.
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Bigbob
Posted on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 2:31 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

1/2 inch polyester rope 345 pound working load.
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DeadlyEyes
Posted on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 2:56 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Why even use wire at all???

I have always used the braided solid nylon rope, 1/4 in diameter to 1/2 inch diameter. The stuff never rots and while you do have to adjust because it initially streaches a bit once you get the streach out everything is just fine.

If you use solid nylon rope you can but the guy ropes just 2 or 3 feet below the antenna.

PS never ever use that hollow core yellow plastic rope. It will deteriorate in the sunlight where nylon will resist deterioration much much better.
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Taz
Posted on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 9:10 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thats basiclly what parachute cord is deadly eyes
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Hoosier Cardinal
Posted on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 11:09 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Dont flame me here but i have guy wires below my moonraker 4 too and have no affects at all on ANY TV or other equipment.... I DO have insulators on the wires though but not every 102"...
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Tech833
Posted on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 3:03 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Taz,

Your TVI was not caused by the guy wires being there. That is impossible. TVI can be caused by poor electrical connections. That was probably your case, the guys not connected to the antenna support good enough would do it.

A little antenna theory would do you good. Since you appear to have the desire to learn more, I highly suggest you check out a copy of the ARRL antenna book at your school library.
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409
Posted on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 3:30 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Nylon will rot in sunlight also......just takes longer.
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DeadlyEyes
Posted on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 7:53 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

RE TAZ

Perhaps then the stuff I was using was not parashoot cord????. There was a woven nylon outside shell with few, very few, nylon like filaments in the middle of the shell. It worked fine for a couple of years but then it broke (for some reason).

Perhaps what I was thinking of was not para cord??? The material I use is that solid core braided nylon line, .5 diameter stuff you can buy at Wall Mart for about 7 or 8 bucks per 100. The .5 in stuff I bought over 10 years ago is still up and still strong. A little stiff and green but still functional.

Hmm Perhaps I did not have para cord in the first place. I will take your word for it.

Later

DE
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bruce
Posted on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 5:01 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I know here in tampa any kind of cord will soon give way to our sunlight. Stick to wire
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Taz
Posted on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 7:42 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I know a guy out here who has to replace it about every 5 years. And in no place does somthing get more sun than in the valley of the sun! Its cheap get it at army surplus store.
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10ring
Posted on Sunday, August 11, 2002 - 7:21 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I just resently put a maco 5/8 40ft. up on a push up pole. my guy wires are 6 feet below the ant. i used six standed guy wire (not insulated)and 3 sets of 3 wires hooked to the pole. I run 180 wats all the time and have no tvi. problems at all not even over the baby monitor. If I could offer you some advice. GET AS MUCH HELP AS POSSIBLE YOU WILL NEED AT LEAST 3 PEOPLE PLUS YOUR SELF 4 will be ideal one for each guy wire if you use 3 per section like I did and the fourth would be a great help to every one as the gofor. keep in mind that you plan on going 30ft plus the ant. is another 20 on top of that plus the height of your house. keep in mind where the POWER LINES ARE. be safe and good luck
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Taz
Posted on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 2:03 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

well, thats you and everyones options are different. My neighbor decides to have a cheap t.v. with no filtering. Hes going to have the cops at his house for harrasing me. He dosent seem to understand its not my problem. I have spent alot of time and money on this issue. I have gone above and beyond the call of duty for him as a neighbor. He has a long criminal record, and its going to get longer!
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GTO
Posted on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 5:22 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hello - Well I got this monster up with the help of a good friend Cobra. We have it on a 40' push up pole and have 2 sets of 4 wires at the 40' and 30' section. Let me tell you there is nothing like an aluminum antenna. I have had all good reports on this antenna. All of the people in the New Orleans area that run Imax 2000 Want one of these baby's. SORRY TAZ - I know how you love your IMAX...
G T O
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Taz
Posted on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 6:36 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

hehe, well hey whatever floats your boat!
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bruce
Posted on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 8:18 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Taz i allways found silver plating and solid gold conductors work best for antennas aluminum has much higher resistance At 11 meters 27 FOOT of aluninum has a lot of resistance far more than gold. So your both wrong GOLD that SILVER plated is the way to go and the Q is enormous so you got to tune it for a very small group of channles. Just my opinon
Bruce
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Taz
Posted on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 8:45 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I see bruce. Man of wisdom.
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bruce
Posted on Tuesday, August 13, 2002 - 5:49 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

No just expensive ideas!
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Taz
Posted on Tuesday, August 13, 2002 - 7:00 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

expenisve cause you made somany mistakes?
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bruce
Posted on Tuesday, August 13, 2002 - 7:55 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Taz I never make mistakks
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Taz
Posted on Wednesday, August 14, 2002 - 12:01 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

uhh you made one on your 5th word there!

Mistakks. hehe
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409
Posted on Wednesday, August 14, 2002 - 5:06 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Actually gold is not that much better of a conductor than aluminum. Aluminum is 1.6 where gold is 1.4. Not that great of a difference. Hard drawn copper beats then both at 1.03 Silver has the best conductive properties at 0.94 That's why leads on many diodes were at one time silver plated . And older test equipment had silver plated circuit boards.
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bruce
Posted on Thursday, August 15, 2002 - 4:45 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

As does things like tuned lines for increased Q are silver plated. The skin effect would even allow only thin tubeing whach is also seen even in mil spec stuff. People get so rapped up in whats best