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[TowerTalk] Replacing cable on Crank-up Tower.

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] Replacing cable on Crank-up Tower.
From: ea6nb@arrakis.es (Jaime Perez-Ullivarri Cortes)
Date: Sun, 29 Jun 1997 09:11:49 +0100
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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