We just replaced the 20+ year-old guys wires on both of my towers. The first
time I cut the 5/16 wire with bolt cutters. I survived after several days
recuperation, but I'm not sure about the DRC Bolt Cutters.
The second tower was guyed with ancient 1/2" guy wire which originally came in
18 large crates and was made to guy rhombic antenna poles. 20 years ago at
$100 is was a bargain, and some of it still was free of rust.
I had no desire to use the bolt cutters on that. K9UWA brought down a chop saw
with a carbide blade, K9UWA's employer buys the blades 3' in diameter and
discards them when they get gown to 12" diameter. My xyl and two other ladies
cut the 12 110-170 foot guys into two nice neat piles of 4-6' scraps. My only
regret is that I don't want to spend the time cutting out the HUGE insulators,
and feel a bit guilty about putting them into a landfill.
One thing that I've not seen mentioned here is another advantage of guy grips -
your xyl can easily help by making up guy wires!
Of course I once induced my wife to climb during a contest and loosen the bolts
on a failed side-mount Ham-M rotor, then tie a rope to the boom so I could
armstrong it. She wanted me to watch, but 10M was wide open, so I did the next
best thing. We had a Black Lab named Daisy at that time. Daisy was planted at
the base of the tower looking UP. So I watched Daisy. If she looked DOWN, we
were in big trouble!
73 ---> Dave, W9ZRX
----------
From: force12@interserv.com[SMTP:force12@interserv.com]
Sent: 15 September 1997 08:52
To: K7LXC@aol.com; k9rz@probe.net; towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Questions->cable cutters
Good morning.
Steve (K7LXC) commented on cable cutters and parenthetically mentioned "not
EHS" in regards to what one can cut with them. If you are looking at cable
cutters, they will often be labeled something like "Not For Steel". This is
common on the type that can be used in one hand and are intended for cutting
copper. If you attempt to use these on EHS, even 1/8", you will not be
successful in cutting, but will be successful in dulling/mashing the blades!
Your hardware store will like you.
A cable cutter for EHS is fairly expensive. They have two handles and are
usually painted red with black blades. They run about $100 (maybe more) for
something that can cut up to 3/16" EHS. Larger ones cost more, of course.
Another way to cut EHS is not so sophisticated. One can tape the location to
be cut with duct tape (or black tape). Then, wearing goggles and gloves, use
a small disk grinder to cut through the tape and cable. A 4" grinder works
fine. If you can hold the cable in a vice, or pair of vices, it will be much
safer.
There is also a hammer driven cutter, but I haven't seen one for a while.
In any event, be careful.
Have a good day and 73,
Tom, N6BT
Force 12 Antennas and Systems
(Home Page http://www.QTH.com/force12 )
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