Towertalk
[Top] [All Lists]

Guy wires...

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Guy wires...
From: n4si@pobox.com (n4si@pobox.com)
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 17:02:39 +0000
> Do you know the reason(s) why saddling the "live" wire is better?  
> (I don't) 

There may be a real good technical/engineering/PE answer to this, but 
all my learning of rope handling (manila or wire) is that any 
deformation of the material such as knots and bends has a fairly 
significant effect on the strength of the material; in the case of a 
knot, over 50% loss.

By placing the "live" part of the wire in the saddle, not only do you
avoid any deformation of the wire, you have the whole length of the
saddle bearing on (gripping) the wire. The U-bolt provides the
friction between the two pieces of the wire ("live" and "dead" ends)
and between the "live" wire and the saddle that will hold all
together. Note that the U-bolt will also deform the "dead" end of
the wire where it bears upon it.

The deformation issue is also why you must use a thimble whenever you 
form the wire in a loop.

And it is also why the pre-forms or Big Grips are much preferred for 
terminating guy wire. It makes a much neater look installation, 
besides.

73, Rod N4SI
    The DXer formerly known as N9AKE
         (c) 5 November, 1996

--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 K7LXC@contesting.com
Sponsored by Akorn Access, Inc & N4VJ / K4AAA

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>