A Quick-Deploy Guying System for My Hustler 4BTV

For some time now, I've been looking for a solution to a problem that many of us who use vertical antennas can relate to: what do you do when the forecast calls for high winds or freezing rain?

Living near the ocean , we aren't strangers to strong winds. Between the occasional hurricane or its remnants passing through the area and the frequent windstorms we experience, there have been plenty of occasions when I've felt it necessary to take my antenna down for protection. When winds reach 70 km/h or higher, or freezing rain is in the forecast, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

The obvious solution is to guy the antenna. However, I wasn't keen on installing a permanent guying system. Our lot is already small, and the last thing I wanted was to have guy ropes permanently stretched across the yard. I needed something that would provide additional support when the weather turned nasty but could be quickly deployed and put away when it wasn't needed.

Space guy ring

Putting the Pieces Together

The first item on my shopping list was a set of guy rings from DX Engineering. They offer a set of two specifically designed for Hustler vertical antennas. The rings are pre-drilled and UV-resistant, making them well suited to outdoor use.

Next came the rope. After looking at several options, I settled on 4 mm polyester diamond-braided rope. Polyester diamond braid offers low stretch and good resistance to UV exposure, moisture, rot, and mildew, making it a sensible choice for an outdoor installation.

For securing and being able to adjust the tension on the ropes, I chose Nite Ize CamJam carabiners. The models I purchased have a stated maximum load rating of 280 pounds. They offer a convenient way to secure the guy ropes without having to tie and untie knots every time I want to use the system.

With those three components in hand, I was ready to put my idea into practice.

Finding the Right Position for the Guy Ring

The first challenge was deciding where to install the guy ring on the antenna.

Guy ring above 20m trap

DX Engineering recommended positioning it just below the capacitance hat, which sits above the 20-metre trap. Installing it there required moving the capacitance hat upward, which produced some small changes in SWR. The SWR on 40 meters increased slightly, while 20 and 15 meters actually improved. There was no noticeable change on 10 meters.

The changes were minor, but I wasn't entirely happy with the physical installation. Once the guy ring was in place, I could see that it rested on the plastic cap at the top of the 20-metre trap. I was concerned that the pressure and movement over time could damage the cap, so I decided to look for another option.

I eventually moved the guy ring to the bottom of the 20-metre trap. This put it only about six inches lower than the originally recommended position, which I felt was a reasonable compromise for supporting the antenna. With the ring in this position, I found no noticeable change in SWR.

No Ground Anchors Required

The next challenge was figuring out where to attach the guy ropes.

I decided to use three guying points, but I didn't want to install ground anchors. Since the antenna would remain un-guyed most of the time, permanent anchors in the yard would be an inconvenience. I could easily imagine running over one with the lawn mower or spending half the winter trying to remember where they were buried under the snow!

Where I decided to place the guy ring

Fortunately, I already had three suitable attachment points: two eye hooks mounted on my deck and another on the shed.

These would serve as the anchor points for the three guy ropes, allowing me to deploy the system when needed without leaving anything stretched across the yard the rest of the time.

I permanently attached the guy ropes to the guy ring and secured the excess rope at the base of the antenna with Velcro straps. Everything could remain neatly tucked away until the weather called for extra support.

Making Deployment Quick and Easy

During my first trial run, I discovered that getting the tension right on all three ropes took a little more back-and-forth adjustment than I had anticipated.

Tension one rope affected the others, so it took a few attempts to get everything where I wanted it. Once I was satisfied with the arrangement, I marked each rope with a permanent marker at the point where it passed through the CamJam tension mechanism.

These marks provide a reference for future deployments. Rather than starting from scratch each time, I can use the marks to get the ropes close to their previously established positions and then make any necessary adjustments.

The idea is to turn what could otherwise be a time-consuming job into a quick and straightforward operation when bad weather is approaching.

Naturally, I'll still check the tension and overall stability rather than relying entirely on the marks.

And Now for the Funny Part!

Guy ring

You would think that living near the ocean, with the threat of hurricanes and strong fall storms, would have given me plenty of opportunities to test my new system.

Well, here's the funny part: since I finished setting everything up, absolutely nothing has happened!

We went through the fall without a single hurricane affecting our area, despite this being a part of the country where storm systems and their remnants are always a possibility. Even the usual bouts of nasty weather seem to have taken a break.

Perhaps I should have built this system years ago. It appears that the mere thought of being prepared is enough to keep the storms away!

CamJam

Of course, winter is still ahead of us, and freezing rain and strong winds are always possibilities here in New Brunswick. Sooner or later, I'll get the opportunity to see how well the system works in real-world conditions.

For now, I'm pleased with the result. I have a way to add support to my Hustler 4BTV when the weather warrants it, without permanently cluttering up my small lot. And when the skies clear, I can put everything away and return the yard to normal.

Guy rope secured at base of antenna