Hanging antenna for repeater when hunting

[WSLC227]

Hello all,

I am looking at getting an antenna with a ground plane kit for hunting and connecting it to a Retevis RT-97L repeater. 

My big question is can I hang the antenna from a tree branch by throwing a rope over and then tying it off?  If so, has anyone done this and received good results.  My family tends to go hunting / camping in an area where there is no cell service and with my GMRS license, thought this would be an amazing use for this.  

Thank you for your help!

[nokones]

It may depend on the tree and time of the year and weather.

What are you trying to accomplish in this footprint of coverage that direct/simplex won't provide out in the middle of where you're going to be?

[WRHS218]

I have used a roll-up J pole antenna tuned for GMRS thrown over a tree limb in a tall oak tree. It was attached to a RT-97 (10w version). I had first tried using a mag base antenna sitting on top of my vehicle. And then I tried the roll up antenna and it worked great. I have an arborers weight bag and dyneema line. I threw the line up into the tree and then hoisted the antenna up. You can DIY the roll-up J pole or buy one. they are cheap. 

[WSIF574]

Should work just fine. Just use good coax as the higher you go the more loss you will have.  If your radio has dual watch use it. One on repeater one on simplex. Depending where you are compared to your group and repeater the simplex may work better 

[tcp2525]

1 hour ago, WSLC227 said:

Hello all,

I am looking at getting an antenna with a ground plane kit for hunting and connecting it to a Retevis RT-97L repeater. 

My big question is can I hang the antenna from a tree branch by throwing a rope over and then tying it off?  If so, has anyone done this and received good results.  My family tends to go hunting / camping in an area where there is no cell service and with my GMRS license, thought this would be an amazing use for this.  

Thank you for your help!

I always take my trusty Comet CA-712EFC and a 25' roll of 1/2" Heliax with me. It's easy getting good height in a tree using parachute cord to hoist up. Very light weight and portable. 

[WSLC227]

It may depend on the tree and time of the year and weather.
What are you trying to accomplish in this footprint of coverage that direct/simplex won't provide out in the middle of where you're going to be?

The areas that we go hunting here in the Pacific Northwest are densely forested areas. Sometimes, we are within a mile or two of base camp, sometimes 10+ miles depending on where we track or set up our blind.

We generally set up base camp near a tall tree that has been trimmed or near a clearing. If we are on the edge of a clearing, I have a 30’ telescoping antenna mast that we use but have been in more dense forest areas the last year or two.

[Santiam]

I do the same setting up a Retevis repeater for camp. Started with the roll up, but had better luck with a copper J-Pole.. Here I had it on a camera tripod that worked great on top of the hill, but have since went with a telescoping flag pole.. On the top of the hill though the tripod was all I needed.. The benefit of the tripod was the short length coax with little loss.. Probably a wash with what you gain going up, then lose it in coax loss..

 One thing we got here is plenty of hill tops and ridges.. LOL

 

 

 

[MSnow]

15 hours ago, WSLC227 said:

Hello all,

I am looking at getting an antenna with a ground plane kit for hunting and connecting it to a Retevis RT-97L repeater. 

My big question is can I hang the antenna from a tree branch by throwing a rope over and then tying it off?  If so, has anyone done this and received good results.  My family tends to go hunting / camping in an area where there is no cell service and with my GMRS license, thought this would be an amazing use for this.  

Thank you for your help!

Yes, you can do this. Highest tree you can find in the middle of everyone. I used a 40' telescoping flag pole attached to my RV ladder to the roof and this was able to overcome our issues being able to talk simplex. I used the rt97s the 10W version and it worked great.

[WRUE951]

i do a lot of RV Camping and carry a portable 40W Repeater.. My go to Antenna is a home brew J Pole attached to a 25' Harbor Freight telescoping flag pole which is fastened to my rear RV ladder.  Having a repeater on the go is must and makes a night and day difference using GMRS Comms out in the wilderness.  Amazing how well this setup works at the higher elevations.  My best distance is approx. 90 miles Lake Crawley - Tonopah  

[Trooper325]

For camp I use a  N9TAX roll up slim jim with my 97L and 18 feet or M&P Hyperflex 5 on a 20 AH lifepo battery. So far so good

[LegitByDefault]

When I worked for the DOF, we used a Larsen antenna on the end of a coax feedline, ferrite ring choke and a length of Paracord (x2 the feedline) which worked well enough on VHF. Let the antenna dangle inverted. You'll need a weight secured to the end of the Paracord, such as an arborist bag, nut, or anything that is unlikely to snag a nook in a branch or tangle with the Paracord itself.

I personally use a CoCo stick for the same purpose if the forest isn't dense, but I like the idea of a roll-up J-Pole.

Aim for a long sturdy branch away from the trunk, and let the cord slack otherwise the weight will swing back and wrap around the cord or branch. If that happens or it otherwise gets caught up - don't pull! Stand underneath it and try to whip it loose. Look for an opening in the canopy or near the edge of the tree line.

Once the weight is past the point where it's possible to tangle, use the swaying motion of the weight to your advantage, in order to weave around lower obstacles... Such as branches with numerous offshoots, overlapping branches, etc.

Keep the line free of knots, lay out your cord in big loops if you can, and keep a blade handy. You might need to cut the cord and let the weight drop if it's unable to be pulled back up.

If you can get it above the majority of the canopy, whether via a tall tree or hillside, you'll have better coverage. Different antenna have different propagation. So choose the right antenna for the area where you plan to deploy it.

Feedline choice becomes more important at length. Low loss = more useable height, before diminishing returns.

Always test your gear before you have no choice but to rely on it.

[tcp2525]

1 hour ago, WSKK463 said:

When I worked for the DOF, we used a Larsen antenna on the end of a coax feedline, ferrite ring choke and a length of Paracord (x2 the feedline) which worked well enough on VHF. Let the antenna dangle inverted. You'll need a weight secured to the end of the Paracord, such as an arborist bag, nut, or anything that is unlikely to snag a nook in a branch or tangle with the Paracord itself.

I personally use a CoCo stick for the same purpose if the forest isn't dense, but I like the idea of a roll-up J-Pole.

Aim for a long sturdy branch away from the trunk, and let the cord slack otherwise the weight will swing back and wrap around the cord or branch. If that happens or it otherwise gets caught up - don't pull! Stand underneath it and try to whip it loose. Look for an opening in the canopy or near the edge of the tree line.

Once the weight is past the point where it's possible to tangle, use the swaying motion of the weight to your advantage, in order to weave around lower obstacles... Such as branches with numerous offshoots, overlapping branches, etc.

Keep the line free of knots, lay out your cord in big loops if you can, and keep a blade handy. You might need to cut the cord and let the weight drop if it's unable to be pulled back up.

If you can get it above the majority of the canopy, whether via a tall tree or hillside, you'll have better coverage. Different antenna have different propagation. So choose the right antenna for the area where you plan to deploy it.

Feedline choice becomes more important at length. Low loss = more useable height, before diminishing returns.

Always test your gear before you have no choice but to rely on it.

You definitely can't go wrong with a good old Larsen antenna. I've been using them for decades with the regrettable exception of buying and trying a Midland antenna for GMRS. 

[WSKQ690]

I am wondering kind of the same thing. What do I need to build one? That I can hopefully hook up to a radio on the go I kind of want to use it when I go camping just to hit any repeaters in the area.