Making Wire Antenna Insulators

Yes but I'm not convinced that ANY of these moulded insulators - whether, glass, ceramic or plastic - are actually any better than the Polyester cord I use.

By the way, although Nylon cord looks similar, it's not so suitable, as it absorbs water)

Roger G3YRO

 

I've had polyester (well, double braided Dacron) cord catch fire and melt when tied to one end of a dipole antenna, transmitting with a kW, and during a rainstorm.

It's funny this has happened not once, but twice, to me and only when it's raining. When the WX is dry it never happens. It only rains here maybe 15-20 days a year or something, so the odds of it raining and my being on the air and transmitting aren't so great, but it has happened.

The cord self-extinguishes, and once I actually watched it happen. It flames, then burns and melts and breaks the rope at the knot, then everything falls down and the flame simply extinguishes so it doesn't spread to anything else.

I use good insulators now, and this has never happened again.

 

dupe

 

Hi Roger, the story for the egg insulator is the failsafe if the insulator breaks, the loops keep the antenna up, if the egg insulators were used correctly. My belief is, the insulator works better in compression, like concrete, rather than in tension.

Both reasons make a bit of sense, as does wire tied to poly rope, if it is OK for an antenna to fall if the rope or wire fail at the joint, you shouldn't need an insulator.

However, my vertical guys caused the SWR to go crazy the last time it rained. The guys are poly rope, and I am looking for something that does not hold water.

 

Around here they sell the chickens that lay them too.

 

Why do you think Rubber Chickens have always been so popular!

 

Google Spectra line; that might be the perfect solution.

73,

Jeff

 

By the way, although Charles (the OP) didn't specifically say these cable tie insulators were for portable/QRP ops I believe that was his general intent as exemplified by his many portable antenna designs he often comes up with here.

73,

Jeff
Vice President
VWM Industries

 

Curious . . .

As I bet it rains a lot more here in England . . . yet in 40 years of using Braided Polyester cord on the end of several different resonant half wave dipoles (160 to 20m) without any other insulators, I've NEVER had any problems ! (I currently run a TL-922)

By the way, I'm not trying to be argumentative . . . just passing on my experience.

Roger G3YRO

 

Same here... the best $3/insulator (approximately one microbrew beer/insulator) I've spent.