Quick-deploy guy ropes protect a Hustler 4BTV vertical

A ham on the New Brunswick coast has found a way to brace his Hustler 4BTV vertical against high winds and freezing rain without leaving guy ropes strung across his yard all year, according to a write-up on AmateurRadio.com. His answer is a set of guys that stay coiled at the base of the antenna until a storm is on the way.

Until now he had been lowering the antenna whenever the forecast called for winds of 70 km/h or more, or freezing rain. Permanent guying was out because the lot is small. Unguyed verticals are a common choice on tight lots, and this setup keeps that advantage while adding support when it is needed.

The parts list is short. He used a two-ring guy set from DX Engineering made for Hustler verticals, 4 mm polyester diamond-braid rope for its low stretch and resistance to UV and moisture, and Nite Ize CamJam carabiners, which have a stated maximum load of 280 pounds and let him adjust tension without tying knots. Instead of ground anchors, which could be hit by a mower or lost under snow, he tied the three guys to eye hooks already on his deck and shed.

Ring placement took some trial and error. DX Engineering suggested mounting the ring just below the capacitance hat, above the 20 meter trap. That meant moving the hat up, which raised SWR slightly on 40 meters, improved it on 20 and 15 meters, and left 10 meters unchanged. He was also concerned that the ring rested on the plastic cap of the trap and could damage it over time. He moved the ring to the bottom of the 20 meter trap, about six inches lower, and saw no noticeable SWR change there.

The ropes stay attached to the ring, with the slack held at the base by Velcro straps. On his first trial, tightening one rope changed the tension on the others, so it took several rounds to balance all three. Once it was set, he marked each rope where it passed through the CamJam so later deployments start close to the right tension, though he still plans to check stability each time.

The kit has not faced real weather yet. No hurricane or major storm reached his area after he finished, so its first real test will likely come with winter wind and ice.