When I had a crank-up/tilt over tower (Wilson 45 foot), I would tilt the tower
(lowered!) over a 10 foot
sawhorse (rather unwieldy to set up but with two people quite easy!) and then
used a 12 foot 'A' ladder to
work on the antenna (Wilson SY-36 which I think had about a 24 foot or so
boom). I felt very comfortable
working on the 'A' ladder with the weight of the tower supported by the
sawhorse.
--Bruce, WA3AFS
On 1 Sep 2007 at 16:47, Dan Hearn wrote:
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dan Hearn [mailto:dhearn@air-pipe.com]
> Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2007 4:41 PM
> To: JAMES HEADRICK
> Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] Crank Up towers
>
>
> Hi Jim. Tilting the tower over with the antenna on it does not give
> you access to all parts of the antenna. I have seen guys use a step
> ladder to work on the tilted antenna and I think that is dangerous. It
> is much easier and faster to just lower the antenna vertically rather
> than unbolting the base and cranking the tower over. If the antenna is
> a large one this is particularly true. 73, Dan, N5AR Incidentally I
> spent most of my career as an EE working for several oil companies,
> Century Geophysical, and retired from ARCOs research lab in Plano TX.
> I moved to Wa to be near my kids who live up here.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces@contesting.com
> [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com]On Behalf Of JAMES HEADRICK
> Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2007 12:07 PM To: Dan Hearn; T talk
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Crank Up towers
>
>
> Dan,
>
> Read your email and article on your club page with interest since I am
> going to install a US Tower TX-455 with a 3el Yagi Steppir on a 15 ft
> mast; this means the mast will stick up more than 10 ft above the
> tower section. My plan was to install the rotor and mast with the
> tower horizontal and the Yagi with it almost horizontal and then crank
> it vertical. This is the way I have done things in the past with
> smaller towers and antennas, and there were some awkward moments.
>
> Please give a little more detail on "I have found that tilting the
> tower over to work on antennas is not a good idea". I certainly
> appreciate your contribution to TT and probably need more guidance -
> especially from a W5. I used to be W5CPB and worked for Petty Geo.
> Eng.
>
> 73, Jim w3cp
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dan Hearn" <dhearn@air-pipe.com>
> To: "T talk" <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2007 2:32 AM
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Crank Up towers
>
>
> > I have noticed recently that a number of hams seem to have a fear
> > of
> > dealing with crank up towers. I have used a TX472 for more than 10
> > years located first near Dallas and now near Spokane. It is not
> > difficult to install the tower and antennas. I recently posted to
> > our clubs web page information on how to replace cables and pulleys
> > safely on it. www.sdxa.org . Click on DX tips on the right hand
> > side.The system described is also applicable to installing antennas.
> > You just step from the ladder onto the top of the nested tower. The
> > antenna can be lifted vertically by a rope and pulley straddling the
> > tower and ladder. If you were smart enough to put a pulley on the
> > top of the mast with a rope through it, lifting the antenna into
> > place is easy. If you forgot to put the pulley on the top of the
> > mast all is not lost. Just rig the pulley with a hook on it and
> > attach it to a piece of aluminum tubing to lift it up and hook the
> > top of the mast. You can either leave the pulley in place after you
> > finish or lift it off and lower it to the ground. If you tape the
> > pulley to the tubing, you can pull the tube loose and leave the
> > pulley in place.
> > I have found that tilting the tower over to work on antennas is not
> > a
> > good
> > idea. It is easier to lower the antenna vertically to the ground. I
> > once lowered a 4 el yagi to the ground, changed element tip lengths
> > and put it back up in less than an hour.
> > My other crank up is a 131 ft UST unit with a 6 el Yagi on a 57 ft
> > boom.
> > I
> > use the same technique to lower and raise it except that the pulley
> > rope is a length of small steel cable as used on garage door
> > openers. It is spooled on a small hand powered winch bolted to the
> > base of the tower. The crank handle was removed and a variable speed
> > electric drill is attached to the shaft. The tower is nested and a
> > helper on the ladder guides the antenna as it is raised or lowered.
> > Crank up towers are not cheap but 2 have been sold at very
> > reasonable
> > prices here as part of SK ham estates. In each case the tower had to
> > be taken down by the buyer.
> >
> > 73, Dan, N5AR
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > TowerTalk mailing list
> > TowerTalk@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
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