This doesn't address your antenna question specifically, but I have to say
that the idea of replacing a stainless wire backstay with rope just creeps
me out. Sure Kevlar, in the appropriate size, could be stronger and still
lighter than the wire, but its long-term durability raises some significant
questions. The lifetime of stainless steel 1x19 and rod is well understood,
as is the response to shock loading; I doubt that the same could be said for
Kevlar. Your backstay's a pretty important rigging component - I wouldn't be
inclined to screw around with it. You might also consider the long-term cost
of more frequent replacement of the Kevlar, versus the cost of the wire and
insulators for about a twenty-year lifetime expectancy of the SS wire and
insulator combination.

I'm not against Kevlar in standing rigging per se, although I'd be inclined
to use it in a "supporting role", so to speak. In fact, I'm thinking of
replacing my 7x19 SS wire running backstays on my 41' 3/4-rigged sloop with
Kevlar the next time I re-rig, not so much to save weight as to keep down
the chafing on my spreaders when the running backstays are housed at the
after shrouds. I just wouldn't use in in a single-point-of-failure
application such as the backstay.

Tom Dacon


"maxlynn" wrote in message
news:hDVob.49689$hp5.39655@fed1read04...
Okay, here's another question on antenna configuration. I have just gone
through the pricing out of backstay insulators, and received the
suggestion
that a good, less expensive alternative would be to substitute a Kevlar
backstay for the rod that I have presently, and wind a piece bare of wire
around the Kevlar, up to near the masthead as an antenna. It is
significantly less expensive, and the Kevlar has the advantage of being
stronger and lighter than the wire.

Anyone know of any disadvantages to this approach??


"john s." wrote in message
om...
Glenn Ashmore wrote in message
news:JRxob.119973$sp2.25191@lakeread04...
In the process of laying up the hull I incorporated a couple hundred
sq.
ft of bronze bug screen to serve as a counterpoise. In addition two
runs of 2" copper foil run down the center of the hull to the keel
area.
Capacitors between the foil and the keel bolts isolate any DC from
getting back into the counterpoise. That is probably enough but as I
am
installing two aluminum tanks, I wonder how kosher it would be to tie
them into the counterpoise with more capacitors.

It would add another 14 sq ft of coupling area but would it be
introducing other problems?

Glenn, I think you are overdoing it....I just have a copper strap from
the ground of the antenna tuner to one keel bolt (external lead keel)
and when I tested the syste,after installation (in New York), I got a
55 report from a ham in NW Spain. The only time Herb (Southbound II)
did not hear me loud and clear was because my copper strrap had become
corroded/
john N2ZOA/MM