In a message dated 97-01-06 14:21:18 EST, you write:
>. How do you get the
> "bridle" tag lines off the end of the elements? Or even more
> importantly, how do you get them on the elements when the antenna
> is on the tower? My helpers (all ex- Lenny Chertoc's L C Tower
> Company) only use tag lines on the boom close enough to the
> middle,that they can be reached and undone from the tower. With
> a single one it is then hard to control the orientation and level
> of the boom, and there is no control of the elements.
Ah, yes - tag lines. Here's what I do. Like you said, the antenna tag
line ends have to be reachable from the tower. I use a clove hitch to secure
them to the boom. Then I take them out to a convenient element and then wrap
them around the element 2 or 3 times to provide a little friction and
purchase for the rope. (BTW,two tag lines, one on each side of the boom, is
handy.) Finally, I tape the tag line to the element out far enough so that I
won't bend the element by pulling on the tag line but enough that I can get
some leverage while pulling on the rope. After applying the tape (2 or 3
wraps of electrical tape is usually fine), work the tag line back and forth
a couple of times pulling it through the tape. After the antenna is up at
the top of the tower but before it's clamped to the mast, you untie the clove
hitch on the boom, making sure that there are no knots in the line. Next you
have your ground guy start pulling the tag line. He'll be pulling it through
the tape and when you get to the end, have the ground guy give a little extra
pull as you launch the end of the rope in the direction of the tape. As he
pulls, it'll slide through the tape and fall to the ground. All that's left
is a piece of tape that'll probably fall off in a couple of years and a
successful antenna installation. I've never had this system fail although
occasionally the rope will get caught on a hose clamp.
With a tram line system, I don't use tag lines on the way down when
removing an antenna. Besides being almost impossible to rig the lines, you
can usually reach the elements and walk them down until they're far enough
away from the tower so they'll clear. Then you just need people on the
ground to catch the antenna when it gets close to the ground.
While most people associate tag line use with keeping the antenna in
position as it's being hoisted, I think that it's most useful in pulling DOWN
on the tag lines and making the elements vertical. This is extremely useful
in getting over that top set of guy wires. Don't tell anybody, but I pulled
the elements of a full sized 3L 40M beam (over 200 pounds) up and over the
guy wires with this technique and my little piece of tape.
73, Steve K7LXC
TOWER TECH -- professional tower supplies and services for amateurs
--
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 & KM9P
|