I am interested in knowing if the wire (antenna) is touching your roof, or how did you get it to stay off the roof?

sounds like a nice effective install that I would like to clone....

One more thing - well - maybe - I don't know if the Hybrid is the same, but when you are running a random wire against ground through a regular balun, the length is actually important.  It should not be a resonant length for any frequency you wish to use, and not be a multiple of it either.  Here is a web site that actually has done all the calculations for the "perfect" lengths for various bands and multi-band considerations.  There also is a short discussion about this type of antenna here:

http://www.hamuniverse.com/randomwireantennalengths.html 

and here is another opinion: http://www.w0ipl.net/random-l.htm 

and here is a site that tells how to build one (there are many), although I don't know if the principles apply to a Hybrid, I've used them to build mine: http://kb2hsh.blogspot.com/2011/09/ubiquitous-random-wire-antenna.html

Take care, John

John,

i can go in the corner of my shack, up 10ft then gently sloping to a 31ft tree 60ft away,

and finally hang down the other side of the tree 10ft for a total length of ~80-90ft.

I could come down to the fence and make it much longer, but I don't think I want

mine that low because I have children.

I will have plenty of room for the 33 & 66ft counterpoise wires.

Couple of questions:

1. How far is the HYBRID from your operating position (radio)? About 30' physcially, but is attached by about 75' of coax.

2. Any RFI in the house or shack? Yes - I minimize it with RF chokes at the antenna (s), chokes before it enters they enter the house, and a line isolator before it goes to the antenna switch to the radio.  I have two pieces of test equipment, my wife's computer speakers upstairs and my TV muted downstairs.  Martin, I don't expect to elimate all RFI on any of my antenna's, they lay on the roof (random and doublet) and my house sits inside the inverted elements.  I watch my muted TV as I send and normally absolutely no indication of RFI - but 20 and 17 meters shows a bit of jump and a bit on 80.  So I can't tell you I have no RFI, but it is minimal, no complaints from the neighbors.  Also...don't take my little bit of RFI as a guarantee for your own set up -  every antenna (and there have been a bunch) has some RFI on some frequencies here at my QTH.

3. Stranded or Solid wire? Insulated stranded #14 Flexweave from the Wireman.  Check the reviews on this if you decide to buy it - some folks have problems with it breaking - I've not had the problem, of course the weight of the wire is on the roof. 

4. Any other suggestions before I do my install? No. I am excited to hear how it works for you, sounds pretty similiar to mine, I like the sound of the longer 60' slope.  Not sure of your situation and sure you know this, but I'd try for something larger then 90 degrees for that last bend from the top of tree down.   I've been staring up at my peak since we started talking about this and really thinking of trying another run in a north south direction to see if I can get another angle on propagation.  I put three coax's out of the house, one to my vertical, but have played numerous times with the other two with different wire antennas.  Good luck and anxious to hear how it goes.  73, John 

Thanks,

Martin

Well...good and bad news I guess...bad you can't install the antenna right away, but good that you found out about the roof.  I surveyed my roof today with my binoculars walking about the block.  I wanted to see if I had any damage from pulling the coax antenna over (replaced the 99' wire with a 74' coax antenna - other then that it is the same set up).  None - although I've got little repair spots from last year's hail - if we get another hard hail we'll be fixing the roof as well. 

I do have a question for you...you had asked how I kept the antenna off the roof (and I don't, it lays on the roof)  and I am interested if you are going to try to tackle that one.  I am thinking if I repair the roof I will install some stand offs along the eve (the antenna is close to the edge).  But man....I hate getting up on that roof (I used to repel off high spots in the service, but 25 years later and carrying an extra 50 lbs has made me leery of those same kind of places).  I either pull the next antenna over with the previous, or if a fresh install I use a long painter pole with a hook, and stand a few steps up on a solid ladder.  So interested in how you handle it or if you just lay it on the top as mine is. 

Bad condx the last couple of days (once the A gets above 15 and the K above 3 I know Nebraska might be the best DX for the day - HI), and some major lightening here - disconnected the antenna's.  Here is the web page I use for watching for lightening type storms headed my way if anyone might be interested:

http://thunderstorm.vaisala.com/explorer.html

Best of luck Martin and I am interested in what you are experimenting with, 73, John