AT Pro - how to keep wire in place

k2gleaner

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Hi. This isn't so much about how to keep it in place but how tight it should be wrapped around the shaft near the coil.

I wonder if that can cause problems with signal.
 

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Yes, generally you want to keep it tight to the stem. Not only do you want the wire to stay still, you also don't want it snagging on things.

What I do is tilt the coil all the way forward or back so the wire is at its farthest point away from the stem. This way I know it will always have just enough slack. Then, I run the wire straight up the stem for nearly a foot, secured with a couple of Velcro bands. I'd use zip ties, but I change my coils a lot. Then, I start twisting it up the stem until I have enough slack at the top to make the connection.
 
Hi. This isn't so much about how to keep it in place but how tight it should be wrapped around the shaft near the coil.

I wonder if that can cause problems with signal.

Fellow member AirmetTango saw this idea here on the Forum and passed it on to me. These are anchor rubber bands used for tomato plants. He gave me a few of the 40 mm one's. They work great. Here is the link to order them from.

https://www.amazon.com/Henrich-Anchor-Tomato-support-rubber/dp/B01C951VK6
 

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Yes, generally you want to keep it tight to the stem. Not only do you want the wire to stay still, you also don't want it snagging on things.

What I do is tilt the coil all the way forward or back so the wire is at its farthest point away from the stem. This way I know it will always have just enough slack. Then, I run the wire straight up the stem for nearly a foot, secured with a couple of Velcro bands. I'd use zip ties, but I change my coils a lot. Then, I start twisting it up the stem until I have enough slack at the top to make the connection.

This is the best route to go. If you change coils it’s handy to have lower rods attached to each coil so you can leave your cable secured to the lower rod.
 
Fellow member AirmetTango saw this idea here on the Forum and passed it on to me. These are anchor rubber bands used for tomato plants. He gave me a few of the 40 mm one's. They work great. Here is the link to order them from.

https://www.amazon.com/Henrich-Anchor-Tomato-support-rubber/dp/B01C951VK6

Here's the thread originally posted by ChrisMD that discusses the tomato plant fasteners that I use and Dan B. mentioned - but just to be clear, we ordered the 70mm variety, not 40mm as Dan B. noted:

Bye Bye Velcro Ties

I really like them compared to velcro because they don't get fouled by dirt and mud like velcro does, and are simple to clean if they do get dirty. I also change out coils fairly frequently, so zip ties, electrical tape, etc just aren't practical. The tomato ties are just as easy to put on and take off as velcro straps, and seem at least as secure to me. I'm still using the original 3 out of the pack of 24, so they seem to be holding up quite well against exposure to the elements.
 
All these kinds of wire have a natural twist as they come off the spools at their factory inception...Similar to all ropes or a hoses or extension cords, theres a natural 'twist' the wire prefers. So for optimal electronic efficiency, you gotta understand the wires predisposed propensity and not force it to behave in a contrary nature...This takes some study and in field hands on practice to discern proper wire behavior to get it right..

So on all my rigs, I run all my coil wires straight stick and tape them to the shaft at pleasant intervals, thinking if I do, the electrons will race up the wire more quicker than running around in circles in a spiral...I bet I find a few extra pennies per year on account of the speed of a straight shot cable! :laughing: (I cant believe I've put so much thought into this, but I have!) :laughing:
 

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Here's the thread originally posted by ChrisMD that discusses the tomato plant fasteners that I use and Dan B. mentioned - but just to be clear, we ordered the 70mm variety, not 40mm as Dan B. noted:

Bye Bye Velcro Ties

I really like them compared to velcro because they don't get fouled by dirt and mud like velcro does, and are simple to clean if they do get dirty. I also change out coils fairly frequently, so zip ties, electrical tape, etc just aren't practical. The tomato ties are just as easy to put on and take off as velcro straps, and seem at least as secure to me. I'm still using the original 3 out of the pack of 24, so they seem to be holding up quite well against exposure to the elements.

Thanks for the correction to 70 mm.
 
All these kinds of wire have a natural twist as they come off the spools at their factory inception...Similar to all ropes or a hoses or extension cords, theres a natural 'twist' the wire prefers. So for optimal electronic efficiency, you gotta understand the wires predisposed propensity and not force it to behave in a contrary nature...This takes some study and in field hands on practice to discern proper wire behavior to get it right..

So on all my rigs, I run all my coil wires straight stick and tape them to the shaft at pleasant intervals, thinking if I do, the electrons will race up the wire more quicker than running around in circles in a spiral...I bet I find a few extra pennies per year on account of the speed of a straight shot cable! :laughing: (I cant believe I've put so much thought into this, but I have!) :laughing:

This is starting to tread into Area 51, UFO, Tin foil hat territory!!!! LOL!!!
 
You are being serious, right?
Yeppers! When the cord is wrapped under the shaft, the wires in it are closer to the coil and can cause interference. So with the cord over the shaft, it is further away from the coil, so there will be less interference. :D
 
I got to a spot today, actually a house built pre-Civil War (!) and my AT was "murmuring" almost nonstop. I tried ground-balancing and changing batteries. Later I realized I had not fixed the loop and it had gotten bigger so perhaps it was interference.

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Hi. This isn't so much about how to keep it in place but how tight it should be wrapped around the shaft near the coil.

I wonder if that can cause problems with signal.

As per the manual the first wrap of cord around the lower shaft should be over the top and not under like you have in the photo. This will help you alot. 🧐
I see alot of guys with it wrapped the wrong way like yours complaining about the same issue. Yes zip ties and velcro help but start out doing it the correct way and you will have less of an issue.
 
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