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Re: Topband: Ends for older Phillystran

To: Group Topband <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Ends for older Phillystran
From: donovanf@starpower.net
Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2014 14:21:21 -0500 (EST)
List-post: <topband@contesting.com">mailto:topband@contesting.com>
Another alternative is to wrap two turns of the Phillystran around a short 
length of three inch diameter steel pipe or tubing. 
Then pass a large shackle through the tubing to fasten it to the steel cable. 
Cut the tubing to fit the shackle, so that the Phillystran can't slip off the 
end of the tubing. 

73 
Frank 
W3LPL 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Ashton Lee" <Ashton.R.Lee@hotmail.com> 
To: "Tom W8JI" <w8ji@w8ji.com> 
Cc: n2ic@arrl.net, "Bill Wichers" <billw@waveform.net>, "Group Topband" 
<topband@contesting.com> 
Sent: Tuesday, January 14, 2014 7:11:06 PM 
Subject: Re: Topband: Ends for older Phillystran 

As a very crude analogy what you want to be able to do is use a steel cable 
from the anchor through the middle of something like an automobile wheel, Then 
the Phillystran wants to take a couple of lazy turns around the rim of the 
wheel and then get clamped to itself. While there are probably better 
engineered alternatives to the auto wheel the idea is that the turn be of a 
large smooth radius and have a high total friction such that the clamps don’t 
actually hold against much pull. 

If you look at old sailing ships that’s how they are rigged… with big wooden 
thimble blocks. 


On Jan 14, 2014, at 12:02 PM, Tom W8JI <w8ji@w8ji.com> wrote: 

>> The bar idea would probably significantly reduce the allowable tension on 
>> the cable, similar to what knotting does, due to the force at each "bite 
>> point" weakening the cable. I suppose if the cable was sufficiently 
>> oversized this wouldn't pose a problem, but I'd certainly expect such a 
>> clamping method to effectively reduce the allowable tension significantly 
>> below the normal rated load. 
>> 
> 
> I wouldn't do anything as tight as a knot, especially when both surfaces have 
> significant yield. The holes would have to be chamfered to prevent cutting 
> through the jacket. It wouldn't be much different than an insulator if done 
> correctly. It is all about not making the short turn radius a knife. 
> 
>> I'm actually a little surprised a dead end / preform isn't supposed to be 
>> used with the straight-strand version of the cable. Those grips work by 
>> compression of the cable they are "grabbing", and it's a fairly even 
>> pressure over the length of the gripped area. If one could be found that was 
>> the correct diameter for the cable being used it might be worth a shot, but 
>> I completely agree with Tom -- TEST ANYTHING YOU TRY BEFORE USING IT FOR 
>> REAL! He's also correct that dynamic loading is much worse than static 
>> loading. Wind causes vibration in towers and guys and that can cause your 
>> clamps to loosen over time, especially if they were marginal to begin with. 
>> 
> 
> There has to be considerable pressure on the jacket squeezing it into the 
> inner fiberglass. I'd be reluctant to use a grip on something that has a 
> tendency to slide. I don't think it will squeeze hard enough. The newer 
> Phillystran has much less tendency to have the jacket slide over the center. 
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