Many thanks to Dan (KQ8Q) who writes:

Hi Tom,

I discovered something you might have an interest in for your wire antenna deployment. Years ago when I was a building contractor, we used chalk line for floor layout. It has a very high tensile strength and is very light weight. After reflecting on this, I recently bought a 100’ spool of braided 1 millimeter chalk line and used it for a field deployment. I attached my “throw weight” to it and easily launched it about 60’ into a tree. You can see it in the attached photo holding my homebrew EFHW to my Jeep.

This link is what I used: Tajima PL-ITOL 100 ft .04″ Bold Braided Replacement Chalk Line New | eBay

Click here for full parts list (PDF)

The magnet wire was scavenged from a HUGE transformer from a neighbor’s discarded light fixture.

I did the new installation for him and he gave me the old one. I promptly disassembled it and collected miles of 14 and 20 gauge magnet wire ?!

I haven’t added the capacitor to this antenna yet because it is sufficiently resonant and broadbanded on 40, 20, 15, and 10 Meters. I did some testing with the capacitors though on my previous build which was the PVC tube EFHW transformer. I believe I may have sent you a photo of that in a previous message. It too was resonant in the same places, but adding the capacitor smoothed and widened the acceptable SWR range.

The attached photos are my complete antenna assembly: matching transformer (49:1), 65.5’ speaker wire, 100’ braided 1MM chalk line, and throw weight (epoxy filled lug nut with short paracord pigtail).

Compact and lightweight.

Dan/ KQ8Q

I love this, Dan! I also like how self-contained and compact it is. What a professional job, too, with heat shrink, proper connection points and tie-offs.

Brilliant work!

Do you have an antenna or radio project you’d like to share on QRPer.com? Contact me!