How To Launch An Antenna
Now How Do I Get It Up There? Getting an antenna up into a tree is the single most easy method of getting your antenna up and operational. Many people have come up with many unique ways of getting the middle or ends of their antennas into the trees. Among the many methods used to “launch” antennas:
- Spud guns
1. - Bows & arrows.
- Slingshots.
- A rock with a string tied around it.
- Fishing rods.
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.While all of these are good, proven methods they are not exactly the safest at times. As mentioned earlier the spud gun might have legal issues to deal with in your area and also has a side issue of the noise it creates when fired. Bows and arrows would seem to be the best but it takes and accomplished archer and a good bow to get the arrow to the top of the tree where you need it to be. Slingshots with fishing weights can work but the weights need to be just right or you risk them getting snagged in the branches. To use a rock would require someone with a major league pitcher’s arm to get the rock anywhere near the top of a tree of minimal proportions. Using a fishing rod seems to be a great way to get an antenna up into a tree but you better be good with it or else you’ll wind up wasting time and fishing line in failed attempts.
So what’s left? What’s the secret? Well, it isn’t really a secret and is actually a compilation of several of the methods listed above. Rather than blather on it would be best to hear from the manufacturer of this fine product which, by the way, is widely used by amateur radio operators (hams), cable installers, and tree surgeons, and phone installers.
EZ HANG — SlingShot & Reel Device for installing wire antennas.
THE NEW AND IMPROVED Custom EZ HANG WITH FOLDABLE WRIST SUPPORT with UV protected 11″ long Bands and 1 1/2″ pouch, The EZ HANG’s basic construction is welded steel attached to a reel that is corrosion resistant plastic and stainless steel. The reel comes with 300 feet of 10-pound-test monofilament line installed, a quick disconnect clip to release weight has a easy-to-see “bright yellow” powder coated cannon ball one-ounce lead weight. Plus one extra weight and clip. (Preceding & image copyrighted by EZ HANG).
Please note: we are not affiliated with the EZ Hang Company.
Knots
Now once you get everything where you want it you will need a way to secure the antenna to prevent it from falling down. The best way is of course to tie it off with rope and this presents another problem which is that of tying knots. We went to the best knot site we know of to get some information on the tying of knots (www.realknots.com).
Instruction Pages
Terminal Knots, Overhand-knot, (Flemish)eight and more.
To bend two lines together. Reef-Knot, Sheet-Bend, Carrick-Bend, True-Lover’s, and more.
To tie on an object. Timber Hitch, Constrictor, The Eight, and more.
The running bowline, hangman, and more.
The monkey fist, Dolly (trucker-hitch).
1 Spud guns: A spud gun is a pipe-based cannon which uses air pressure, or combustion of a gaseous fuel, or both, to launch large projectiles at low speed. They are built to fire chunks of potato, as a hobby, or to fire other sorts of projectiles, for practical uses. In some jurisdictions spud guns are outlawed or have restrictions on their use and may require licenses and certification of the gun.
