Practical_Antenna_Handbook_0071639586

CHAPTER 28
Supports for Wires
and Verticals
Antenna installation methods vary in complexity from those that can be performed
by one person of moderate strength and agility all the way up to
large-Âscale projects that are best left to professional antenna riggers. In this
chapter we suggest techniques for erecting wire antennas and lightweight rigid verticals.
In Chap. 29 we do the same for full-Âfledged towers. Keep in mind, however,
that the information given herein is merely informal guidance and what you ultimately
do should never be in violation of local mechanical, electrical, and other
building codes or any zoning ordinances or restrictive covenants pertaining to your
property.
Antenna Safety
Before dealing with the radio and performance issues, let’s deal first with a few antenna
safety matters. You do not want to be hurt either during installation or during the next
windstorm. Two areas of potential concern immediately present themselves: reliable mechanical
installation and electrical safety.
Caution No antenna should ever be erected so the antenna, its feedline, its supports, or any
part thereof crosses over or under a power line, transformer, or other utility company equipment—never,
ever! Each year we read or hear about colleagues and innocent bystanders
being electrocuted while installing or working on an antenna. In virtually all these tragic
cases, the antenna came into contact with a power line. Keep in mind one dictum and make
it an absolute: There is never a time or situation when any part of an antenna system
should be placed near enough to electrical power lines that it can come in contact with them
if the antenna, its feedline, or its supports fail or if the power poles or power lines themselves
come down! And never, never use a utility pole or guy wire as an attachment point for any
rope, halyard, tug line, or guy wire—not even temporarily.
Never rely on the insulation covering antenna wire or the power lines to protect you
from high voltages on the utility company wires. Never assume that the power lines are
insulated. Old insulation crumbles on contact with even a thin wire antenna, and even new
power lines may have small breaks or weakened spots in the insulation, which may, after all,
have been lying in an outdoor storage yard for a long time.
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