Hello all,

I just purchased a Butternut HF6V HF vertical antenna to be used as a backup antenna later this fall from a DX location with lots of saltwater nearby.

I have noticed over the years that Butternut sells a 160 meter kit to resonate the HF6V on top band. All in all, not very efficient. And having a GOOD signal on 160 is asking too much from an antenna that is only 28' tall, even with this 160 meter kit.

So Here is what I came up with:

Run a 125' - 150' horizontal wire from the top of the antenna to a distant support structure. Shorten the wire as needed to resonate the Butternut on 160 meters. Simple enough, right?

Now for the million dollar question:

Lowering the antenna & adding the horizontal wire every time I wanted to work 160 would not be very efficient & quite hard on the antenna. So..........How do I add this wire (connected with a hose clamp I would assume) to the top of the 28' antenna WITHOUT lowering the antenna?

I do not want to go the tilt over base route. Sooner or later there will be problems with the antenna by tilting the base over numerous times..........I even thought about some kind of relay on the top of the antenna in order to switch the wire in/out of the antenna. A relay would need a control voltage wire running up the antenna & would severally alter the antennas SWR.

Thought about a long stick & hooking the wire to the top of the antenna. This might be my only real option. Talk about trying to thread a needle as I attempt to secure this wire from the ground 28' below to the top of the antenna.

Climbing a ladder is out of the question.........Does anyone have any ideas?



Thanks,


Tom kcØw