A Better Way To Anchor The MFJ-2990 Vertical Antenna.

     I have 2 of the MFJ-2990 Vertical HF antennas and here is my method of anchoring them.  First, I use the MFJ-1903 Tilt-Over base.  This allows me to raise and lower the antenna without any help.  Don't try to raise it by trying to balance it vertically unless you have a second man to help position it on your mast.  Using the Tilt-Over base is the way to go.
     Here are my suggestions on guy ropes.  Use 3/16" black dacron rope.  Tie one end of it at an anchor point about 2/3 of the way up the antenna.  Tie the other end to a clothes line rope tensioner

     Next, I inserted a carabiner into the end of the screen door spring and attached the carabiner to the rope tensioner.  At the bottom of the screen door spring I looped a 4 ft. length of 1/8" wire rope through it and fastened it with small u-bolts specifically made for wire rope.  At the other end of the wire rope, I looped it through the ring on the anchor stake and secured it with u-bolts.

     Why do I use the 4 ft. of wire rope?  I have had rabbits, birds and even mice chew through the dacron rope if it is tied at the ground stake.  The critters can't chew through stainless steel. I have seen Robins peck at the dacron rope thinking it is a worm.

     This is the anchor that I use on the antenna.  It is available from DX Engineering.

    This is a close-up of the tensioner and spring assembly.  This setup works well because the spring keeps tension on the rope and also lets the vertical sway in the wind to some degree.  In the past, I had problems with guy ropes breaking when the wind got too strong because the antenna would jerk on the guy rope.  The spring prevents that from happening.

     One little tip...an easy way to thread the dacron rope through the tensioner is to take a piece of #12 copper wire about 8" long and make a 1/4" diameter loop in one end, just enough to get the dacron rope through.  Don't tie the dacron rope to the copper wire because the knot will not go through the tensioner. Poke the end without the loop down through the top end of the tensioner while keeping a hold of the end of the dacron rope to keep it from slipping through the loop on the copper wire.  You might need a vice-grip to grab onto the copper wire and pull it through.

     Adjusting the tension on the rope is easy.  To make it tighter, just pull the rope through the tensioner.  To loosen it, pull on the insert inside the steel loop of the tensioner to release the tensioner's grip on the rope.  The rope is held in place by 3 ball bearings in the top of it.

     The only downside of the tensioner is that the ball bearings are not stainless steel and tend to rust.  I don't know how hard those bearings are to remove, but I would like to find some stainless steel bearings to replace them with.

73,

John, AA9UF