Steve,
One thing you didn't say/ask: Does he have safety wires on the turnbuckles??
If
not, they can easily unscrew and loosen the guys!!!!!! I don't know if he does
or
not, but if the guys are loose, it's another thing to check.
[The safety wires go through each turnbuckle TWICE, once at each end and wrap
through the fixed end of the guy anchor and through the loop in any guy grips,
thus eliminating the possibility that the turnbuckles can turn in any direction.
Look at the ARRL handbook for details.]
Bill, N3RR
K7LXC@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 98-06-18 15:45:47 EDT, k0wa@southwind.net writes:
>
> << I looked down the tower and I could see the torque
> created by the beam actually twisting the tower! I have guys at 55 feet (60
> foot tower) and at 35 feet with the old Rohn torque bars.
>
> I ran over to one guy point and the guys were very, very, very loose.
> Between Winter and Spring the guys had relaxed quite a bit because of the
> tempurature change. I started cranking on the turnbuckles...to take up the
> slack. AFter I tightened them all up, the twisting motion of the tower
> could not be detected.
>
> I just got to remember to check the tower every month. I hope you all are
> doing the same... >>
>
> Hmm - you shouldn't have to do that. There's something fishy here. You
> just fixed the symptom.
>
> Properly installed EHS doesn't stretch enough to make them that loose.
> Something has changed. How many turns did you take on the turnbuckles? All of
> them or just one?
>
> The cable could have pulled through a loose cable clamp. Check them for
> proper tightness.
>
> The anchors could have shifted. Spray paint the anchor rod flush to
> the ground then the next time you check it you can see if it's pulled out.
>
> The turnbuckles could have loosened up. After proper tensioning, run a
> length of cable through the TB eyes and bodies in a safety loop. It'll keep
> them from turning accidentally again.
>
> Maybe you had some vandalism and they loosened the TB's.
>
> While an annual inspection is highly recommended, doing it monthly
> should not be necessary for a properly installed tower.
>
> Cheers, Steve K7LXC
>
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