Abstract: Aeolian vibrations are the major cause for the
failure of conductor cables. Using a Stockbridge damper reduces
these vibrations and increases the life span of the conductor
cable. Designing an efficient Stockbridge damper that suits the
conductor cable requires a robust mathematical model with minimum
assumptions. However it is not easy to analytically model the complex
geometry of the messenger. Therefore an equivalent stiffness must be
determined so that it can be used in the analytical model. This paper
examines the bending stiffness of the cable and discusses the effect
of this stiffness on the natural frequencies. The obtained equivalent
stiffness compensates for the assumption of modeling the messenger
as a rod. The results from the free vibration analysis of the analytical
model with the equivalent stiffness is validated using the full scale
finite element model of the Stockbridge damper.