When it’s time to guy your antenna tower, Amateur Operators don’t have an endless list of alternatives. A popular choice is to use continuous metal guy wires. While more economical, many Hams have found that this option comes at the expense of the conductive material distorting the antenna’s radiation pattern.
This can be rectified by breaking up the continuous conductive guy into non-resonant segments using insulators. DX Engineering carries its branded porcelain guy line insulators in packs of three, rated at 10,000 lbs. (DXE-502) or 12,000 lbs. (DXE-504) breaking strength (more than double the value of 1/4 EHS cable, which has a breaking strength of about 6,500 lbs.). DX Engineering also offers kits which include three porcelain insulators and three bent pin shackles.
Then there is a third option—use of continuous, nonconductive guying material such as Phillystran.
Since 1972, professionals have depended on Phillystran’s world-famous fiber ropes, strands and braids for the toughest military, marine, commercial broadcast and industrial jobs. In the Ham Radio world, Phillystran’s non-metallic antenna and tower guy lines provide strength and stability without the interference problems that come with EHS steel cables. DX Engineering is proud to be the only Amateur Radio-focused reseller of Phillystran products worldwide, offering fast shipping and no minimum order requirements.
HPTG-I High Performance Broadcast Tower and Antenna Guy Lines
The result of years of real-world testing, Phillystran’s HPTG-I High Performance Broadcast Tower and Antenna Guy Lines deliver significant advantages over steel. Easy to install and maintenance-free, these guy lines are made from low-creep, low-stretch Kevlar®, which has a strength-to-weight ratio five times greater than steel.
The high-isolation lines eliminate electromagnetic interference, radio frequency interference, signal suppression, directional irregularities and white-noise arcing that can occur with EHS steel cable. They’re protected by an extruded jacket, providing excellent resistance to weather and abrasion. Choose from 4mm, 6mm, 8mm, 9mm and 11mm diameter lines with breaking strength ratings from 1,200 to 11,200 lbs. Available by the foot or in 5,000 or 10,000 foot rolls.
PLP Big Grip Dead-Ends
Designed specifically for use with Phillystran HPTG-I Kevlar® guy lines, PLP Big Grip Dead-Ends make installing your guying system simple and your tower and antenna more stable. Features include:
- Grips designed to match rope twist direction
- Galvanized steel and “C” coat construction
- Cross-over marks that indicate a starting point for installation
- Color-coding for easy identification of strand size
- Short-leg/long-leg design so installer always knows which leg should be started
- Available for use with 6mm, 8mm, 9mm and 11mm diameter Phillystran guy lines
DX Engineering Phillystran Steel Tail Kits
The experts at Phillystran recommend terminating fiber guy lines with a steel tail. The DX Engineering Phillystran Steel Tail Kit provides a solid transition from non-metallic to metallic guying cable at the ground end of your tower guying system. The steel section of guy line—the “tail”—connects the fiber HPTG-I Phillystran assemblies to the turnbuckle or guy anchor. This protects your guying system from low-level hazards, including gnawing critters, brushfires, vandals and lawn maintenance equipment. The steel tails also make it easier to calculate guy length and provide added safety when attaching guy grips during guy line installation and tensioning.
The kit includes:
- 12 feet of EHS galvanized steel guy line available in 3/16, 1/4 or 5/16 inch diameters
- Porcelain guy line strain insulator (502 or 504 depending upon kit size)
- Galvanized steel preform Dead End Big-Grips—two per line for the steel guying cable only
- Heavy-duty galvanized steel thimble
- Available for 8mm (HPTG-4000I), 9mm (HPTG-6700I) and 11mm (HPTG-11200I) diameter
- Phillystran guy lines
Note: Kits do not include Phillystran guy lines or the appropriate Big-Grip Dead-Ends for the guy line. Those items are sold separately
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