Re: [TowerTalk] How to apply lube to HDX589

["Patrick Greenlee" <patrick_g@windstream.net>]

Ken, From whatever cause, when a cable fails it can be dangerous and 
expensive. Some failures take place when the tower is not being raised or 
lowered. Irrespective of the cause of this static failure, if the tower 
sections were "safed" then damage and danger would be averted.
My current tilt-over/crank-up has only one movable section and my current 
refurb action includes adding a lock to take the strain off the cable and 
the pulley (which I am changing out for a larger diameter.) I'm not an ME 
either but I think keeping the pulley bearings loaded all the time can't be 
good for their life span.
By increasing the pulley diameter I hope to reduce wear on the cable making 
the turn.
73,

Patrick AF5CK

-----Original Message----- 
From: Ken Beals
Sent: Sunday, June 16, 2013 5:58 PM
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] How to apply lube to HDX589

Been following this thread with interest even though I donbt own a crank up.


Here is a question for the MEs in the group from a decidedly non-mechanical 
EE: Why would btaking the strain off of the cableb do anything to prolong 
the life of the cable? Since the only wear mechanism I see is the flexing of 
the strands and the internal friction when the cable bends over the pulley 
when moving. I can only relate a stationary cable to those used on 
suspension bridges. Those seem to last a long time. So I canbt see the 
advantage of section locks with respect to cable life.

I installed towers for a while when I was much younger and I remember that 
Tri-Ex had an option to add locks to both guyed and self supporting crankups 
They were different since their guyed towers raised one section at a time 
rather than all sections equally as a SS tower does.

Ken K6MR



From: Doug Turnbull
Sent: bSundayb, b16b bJuneb, b2013 b06b:b22
To: 'Patrick Greenlee', towertalk@contesting.com


Chris,

  In my experience there was a single brake at the lowest and therefore
stationary level.   This counterweighted flap merely takes the strain from
the lowest wire rope and most importantly from the winch.   Some of us may
add additional stops by carefully climbing the tower and inserting steel
bars on heavy duty rectangular cross arm bracing - obviously such a tower is
not lowered in a storm.

  At this QTH one such tower is stayed as per the manufacturer's
specification - my additional rest / brake between the second and third
section are additional.   Imagine the problem which might occur with a five
section tower using strings to release multiple brakes.

   Removing the entire weight of the upper sections from the winch and
lowest rope though makes good sense.

   I am not recommending my approach to anyone else.   Great care is taken
when inserting the additional steel bar between the second and third
sections.   The larger tower has three sections which are forty foot long
and the manufacturer insisted on stays.   I did not intend to ever depend on
the wire rope when stays increase downward loading.

   Why a crank up then.   It make is much easier to work on the antenna and
greatly reduces climbing.   I have a bad back and it is not wise for me to
be up top.   Fact is these days I use a rigger.

               73 Doug EI2CN


-----Original Message-----
From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of
Patrick Greenlee
Sent: 16 June 2013 12:51
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] How to apply lube to HDX589




*******************
If upper sections also have locks, how is the disengagement cable that
operates the locks managed?  Since the tower gets taller, there would be a
lot of cable that needs to play out as it goes up.  How is that kept from
tangling up?



Chris

*****************

Chris, I have a rag sailor background and we lived aboard our sailboat for 9

years.  As you can imagine, minding all the running rigging, ground tackle,
etc. is not a trivial task and is important to get right and can be life
threatening when fouled up.

A UV resistant very open weave cloth bag to hold the tail of a line (one per

line) can be real handy. Rain water will not collect in it and permits
moisture to dry out.  You just stuff the long line tail into the bag in FILO

fashion (First In Last Out) and when withdrawn from the bag it virtually
always comes out freely with no tangles.

I can think of hands free systems to take up the slack and pay it out
automatically but they look like they were designed by Rube Goldberg.

Patrick AF5CK

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