Hello!
I have been reading for long this reflector and find it most
instructive
and interesting. I have a 18 meters crank-up with a TH7,D3W & 40-2CD on
it, up for about 10 years. Last month I crank it down, have done all the
maintenance with the beams ( cleaned joints and have riveted all the
elements, since I did find some of this joints with so much aluminum oxide
acting as an INSULATOR ).
I inspected the retracting cables, these cables are galvanized iron rope
and I used to GREASE them often ( I know now it was a big mistake ). I
inspected the cables and they look good ( at the surface ), so with the
help of other hams we started to raise the Tower.
Just at middle height, we noticed the top cable was breaking slowly, fast
we block the tower using bars ( if the cable would snap completely this
bars would stopped the very heavy weight? I doubt it ), the tower is over a
flat and reinforce roof of my house.
We where very lucky that only part of the cable snapped, but to crank
down the tower was a nightmare, we did it slowly blocking every two
inches.
Now the tower is safely down, I posted all this because many people like me
put one of this towers for convenience without realize the potential
mechanical problems you can encounter, now I will put a fixed tower.
Well, now I have to replace the cables and pulleys ( this is other problem,
I don't know where to find similar pulleys ), I have learned:
NO GREASE THE CABLES, but here on the island the air is quite humid and
galvanized wire rope, in 2 or 3 years gets rusty.
My question is:
Can I use stainless cable for it ?.
I never read about this in the reflector. There is stainless cable rope for
cranes and machinery ( the price is high but security is first ).
Before replacing cables and pulleys I will await all your comments and
experience about this " giant meat cleaver "as was named by Tom.
Thanks and 73's.
Jaime, EA6NB.
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