2020-11-23, 13:31:45
When we are out operating in the field it is usually a good idea to be able to quickly and easily deploy our wire antennas - and to take them down when the operating session is finished. It is also a good idea to store the wire in a manner that makes it easy to stash away in a backpack without letting it get tangled. The solution is simple and easy to make; it's called a winder.
The picture shows two types of winder. The one on the right was popularized by Sotabeams (who also sell a commercial version). The wire is wound in figure of eight fashion around the two "horns" and can be unwound by simply pulling the end of the wire. The winder rocks back and forth as it releases the wire.
I had been using the Sotabeams style winders for some time, but I found that very long wires didn't fit on these winders very well. So, I designed a new winder with four "horns" on which it is easy to wind very long field antenna wires like the 132ft 80m End-Fed-Half-Wave shown. The wire is wound around two of the horns. If it begins to fill the winder, simply rotate the winder by 90 degrees and start winding around the other two horns. To unwind the wire, pull on the end while supporting the winder with a finger through the centre hole. The winder spins as it releases the wire.
GBARC Builder Group members can build their own winders by cutting the shape from a plastic kitchen chopping board (Dollar Stores, Walmart). I have a pattern I can send on request to anybody needing one.
The picture shows two types of winder. The one on the right was popularized by Sotabeams (who also sell a commercial version). The wire is wound in figure of eight fashion around the two "horns" and can be unwound by simply pulling the end of the wire. The winder rocks back and forth as it releases the wire.
I had been using the Sotabeams style winders for some time, but I found that very long wires didn't fit on these winders very well. So, I designed a new winder with four "horns" on which it is easy to wind very long field antenna wires like the 132ft 80m End-Fed-Half-Wave shown. The wire is wound around two of the horns. If it begins to fill the winder, simply rotate the winder by 90 degrees and start winding around the other two horns. To unwind the wire, pull on the end while supporting the winder with a finger through the centre hole. The winder spins as it releases the wire.
GBARC Builder Group members can build their own winders by cutting the shape from a plastic kitchen chopping board (Dollar Stores, Walmart). I have a pattern I can send on request to anybody needing one.