backstay insulators

[bschnur]

I'm preparing to install insulators in my backstay to make an
antenna for my HF ham radio. The thing is, the backstay
tensioner is squarely in the way. It would appear that if the
lower insulator is installed above the tensioner, then the antena
feedline down to the deck would be long and vulnerable to damage.
If insulators were intalled such that the tensioner became part
of the antenna, which would make for a short feedline, then how
do you protect the crew against RF burns and still have a working
tensioner? Anybody?

 

[aurora2]

Where did you find a tensioner that bends that mast?

 

[bschnur]

my backstay tensioner isn't intended to bend the mast so much as it's there to take sag out of the forestay.

 

[frank_remus]

M-384 I installed backstay insulators (Ronstant) on the single leg above the "Y" of the split which puts the bottom insulator about 12 feet above the deck. The top insulator is approx. 4 feet down from the top of the stay, which leaves 30'6" between the insulators for the antenna. I have not completed the SSB instulation at this time as I am looking at alternative methods of creating the necessary counterpoise (ground plane) to facilitate my installation P.S. I connected a wire to my upper shrouds and ran it to my PL259 connector in the radio for about 1 year and got excellant reception but could not transmit that way (my rigging on Xanadu is not connected to ground to the best of my knowledge. P.P.S. call Jared @ ICOM and ask for the book "SSB Simplified" by Gordon West They photo copy it and send it out free. Hope this helps.