backstay insulators and backstay tensioner

[wotayottie]

am re-rigging at the moment and intending to put insulators in my backstay to allow use as a ham radio aerial. however, the backstay has one of those tensioners with two fold out handles, and I cant see any neat way of getting the feed to the aerial section from the deck gland up to connect with the aerial section above the tensioner.

has anybody got a solution to this problem?

have posted this on liveaboard as well in case someone there has an answer.

 

[shmoo]

We have the same arrangement and there doesn't seem to be a problem. The feed comes out of the deck gland; is held away (outboard) of the pushpit rails with stand offs, one on each rail; then goes to a standoff on the lower (cold) section of the back stay; around the insulator at standoff distance; then to the connector.

The insulator is about 1m off the deck. We have our ensign on the back stay, and it is all hot - ensign, halyard and clamp on cleat are all above the insulator.

Make standoffs either with 10mm lengths of 100mm plastic pipe, or with 100mm lengths of conduit with a long cable tie passed around the feeder, though the conduit and around the pushpit rail.

Here is the general arrangement for a conduit standoff. The pushpit rail is the horizontal bar and the red line is the GTO feed

 

[wotayottie]

you have a pm

PS sent the pm before your edit but it would still be great if you could send a photo. my concern is not with the pushpit (I simply cable tied the insulated feed wire to the pshpit last time round) but with getting round the tensioner and it still being useable.

I suppose the alternative is to insulate the shrouds as they pass through the spreader ends and use one of them.

 

[jerryat]

Yes I have. I have the Seasure wheel type tensioner and rubbed my chin raw over the aerial feed solution many years ago. I'll describe it as well as I can, but will be on the boat this weekend, so can post a piccy late Sunday/Monday to show it.

The bottom end of the SS (Seasure) is fixed to the backstay tang with a clevis pin, and the top is similarly fixed to the backstay. Obviously the distance between the two points will vary as one tensions or de-tensions the backstay.

I used some s/s strip about 25mm x 2mm which is drilled both ends to receive the clevis pins. Now, this strip is obviously not straight, but bend in a gentle arc from top to bottom such that the wheel (handles in your case) can be turned through the gap so formed. The last length of the strip at both ends is bent to align with the backstay/tensioner so that it can simply be passed over the end of the clevis pins and be held in place by the split pin or ring. You may need to obtain a slightly longer pin.

You must ensure that the arc is large enough to allow the wheel/handles can still turn at the minimum tension, it obviouly won't be a problem at maximum tension.

The antenna feed therefore comes downs the backstay, is fixed along the outer side of the s/s strip with cable ties, then contines to the the deck gland.

What happens is that as the tensioner is used, the arc increases or decreases while keeping the feed completely out of the way.

Been like this on our boat for ten years now and it's perfomed perfectly.

HTH's

Jerry