Here's my method of storing my portable wire antennas.

Subject: Deploying and Storing the Antenna.
       Date: Fri, 09 Jul 1999 18:40:23 +0000
      From: Ed Loranger 
Organization: http://www.qsl.net/we6w
        To: [email protected]

(Sent to QRP-L low power discussion group, July/9/1999)

Good Day friends.  I just wanted to share my antenna storage
technique.  I operate /Portable from the park every Saturday
and recently they trimmed the willow trees and have to launch
the 16 ounce waterbottle tied to a slipknot.  I easily get
25 feet up with this technique and have gotten good at slowing
the string down before the bottle would hit the ground.

I'm nonchalant when I slow the bottle after clearing the tree
and gently squeeze the rope while the bottle swings under the
tree toward me, right into my other hand.  Secretly I'm hoping
someone has just witnessed my antenna raising prowess; without
turning my head, my eyes dart left and right hoping to find 
someone appreciating my work....  no-one...

Anyway, the point here is that I had to add about 70 feet of
string to each antenna end to utilize the water bottle.

So the prospect of winding up my antenna, a modest 33 feet on
each end has now become 100 feet on each end when you include
the string.  What to do?

OK.  My antenna is back to normal.  25 feet of 300 ohm feedline
soldered to each 33 foot leg of 20 AWG teflon sheathed wire.  The
center insulator is made of plastic coathanger about 5 inches
long.  Three holes drilled in the 3/8 inch diameter plasic serves
to strain relief the antenna and the feedline is fed over the plastic
and through drilled holes to hold it as well.  The soldered connections
are fully taped using yellow transformer dielectric tape, very thin
and strong teflon tape.

Storing the antenna.  I had a scrap piece of wall plank.  I think is was
9"x9" for covering walls.  It is perfect.    Cut it into about 4"x9" and
is only 1/8 inch thick.  Hacksaw a 1 inch, 45 degree slot into the top
edge at the right and left, about 2 inches for the sides of the wood.  

Place center insulator at the middle top of the plank.  Wind up each end
of the antenna seperatly.  I use a 8 foot string tied to each end of the
antenna wire with an insulator formed of more of the plastic coathangar.
The last few inches of string is anchored in the slot.  I label the
plank
with indelible marker "40 M" or whatever band the antenna is designed
for.

The throwing lines (string) are wound in similar plank but with a "Vee"
groove at each end and a small anchoring slot.  Currently I unwind the
amount of string needed and lay it on the ground in 10 foot lines
seperated
by 12 inches or so.  I plan to put a finishing nail in the center axis
of
this wood spool and perhaps a plastic tube over the nail to allow the
spool to spin during unraveling.

The string at the ends of the antenna are tied into fixed 2 inch
diameter
loops.   I have added a 1 inch piece of plastic coathangar to the loop
in my throwing string.  The throwing string now has a loop about 2 inch
in diameter with the string threaded into two holes drilled into the
plastic coathangar.  When attaching to the bottle, the throwing string
is made into a slip knot by simply pushing the standing part of the
string into the loop and over the bottle -- the plastic coathangar
serves no purpose here.  After the string is over the tree and the
bottle removed, the antenna end string with loop is put around the
plastic coathangar on the throwing string and pulled up.  Anchor the
ends of the throwing string.

Always throw the bottle over the tree, toward the center of the antenna.

A lot simpler than it appears in this text :)

When done using the antenna,  untie the anchors at each end of the
antenna throwing strings, gently pull down on feedline and pull each
side down so you can reach the ends.  Disconnect antenna ends by 
unlooping antenna string from around the straight coathangar catches.
Wind antenna up on the wood plank, each antenna arm has its side of
the plank.  Anchor string ends in slots in wood.  Spool feedline
between the antenna lines and tuck feedline end underneath the other
wire as necessar to hold it.  Wind the throwing lines on their
respective
vee-notched spools.  The 1 inch plastic catch on the throwing lines
has not been a problem when pulling the line down from the tree.  

Maybe this antenna technique might give someone some ideas.  I sure
felt silly unwinding all that string off the antenna last week.  Now
I only use what I need and for quick use of the antenna when I'm
not raising the ends high, I don't have to unwind the throw lines all
over the ground.

72 Ed WE6W
-- 
-Ed  AR Millennium Q's=>900/2000  QRP-L#1068
72, Ed WE6W, A-1 OP; http://www.qsl.net/we6w  Santa Rosa, CA 
QRP-Z#106 AR#112 HI-QRP#64 NC#2227 ARCI#9397 ARS#275

Here's a crude drawing minus the water bottle one throws while the throwing string is NOT yet attached to the antenna.

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