A little self present came from china this morning.
Only took week to get here
Set of ten Velcro straps 2cm by 20cm
Whole idea is to improve the 9:1 unun set up
And rid f the original base I had for the sqiddy pole to reduce load and weight in rucksack from this.
Coming along nicely just gotta find better base prob a fishing steel ring holder some one put me on to as that can be strapped to the squid pole during transport.
For most summits you could dump the pegs, guys and ring, too. A couple of packs of bungees from Poundland and you can fix the roach pole (you don’t get many squid around here!) to any convenient fence post, trig point, tree - or in the case of G/DC-007 Watchcroft, a very phallic standing stone just to the west of the summit!
It’s brightening up, here, I think the back end of the rain is approaching!
You can buy the rod rest at http://www.decathlon.co.uk/steel-rod-rest-id_6559020.html
I one ocasion João, CT7ABE, borrowed one of those rod rest and I realise that is perfect for dirt soils. I just rest the fishing rod in it. No straps !
But, for backpacking, I would take Brian and Andy advices. Actually what I use!
As a newbie to sota, I am really enjoying chasing the sota stations, and I am really looking forward to being quite active in the new year from various Summits , and I fully agree, get rid of anything that is heavy and carry light, I will be using my FT 817 with 5 wtts and home brew dipoles, one recommendation is take the Xyl with you she can hold the sotapole, if not too windy HI.
With best wishes to all, Merry Xmas.
Ken G0FEX
I will add to what Andy and Brian have already said by adding that I have activated about 58 summits this year and have not had to guy a pole yet - I have used Brian’s method of bungying the pole to a suitable support. However, I always carry the guying kit that Andy refers to. Remember KISS and lightweight
Ditto what Glyn says Karl. If using a squiddy (mine were bought when I lived in Australia, so to me they’ll never be Roach poles) just for supporting an HF dipole - the wire itself forms two “guys” and the first couple of sections of the pole get strapped to any convenient fence post, bench or tree. If you want to put a small beam on the pole, then a guying ring (such as available from SOTABeams or make your own) and some guying cord is needed as you will need the pole vertical and stable enough to be able to turn the beam.
Will be keeping the guy ropes handy epically when the 6m moxon comes into play and must make up another little triangle bit as it holds up the shorting coil half way up pole. But the fishing thing is excellent idea. What makes me laugh postage is more than the item itself but certainly a good idea. Yet when the FT450D I get around to buying one day will be good slightly lighter than the trio 120V I have now and has built in tuner so the MFJ can stay at home as well.
But these little Velcro straps are well useful now I can attach me unun straight to the pole at any height I want and also use them to strap me fishing support to squid pole as well for safe transport. Be a counter weighted walking stick .
But main task here was do away with the original mount I built, good, works well and recycle the nuts and bolts and wing nuts for other tasks I may have come up in hand. Been saving the little choc tins great for storage but must remember to label them.
Roach pole V’s squid pole things squid pole wins every time.
So merry Christmas one and all form a very wet rain soaked Cornwall