In a message dated 98-11-13 07:32:09 EST, aa6jj@home.com writes:
> I have a Tristao TMS-771 motorized crank-up tower which I installed 20
> years ago.
> It has been a good tower and holds a stack of KLM monobanders.
> I retract it a few times in a year if high winds are forecast, and I lube
> the pulleys every few years.
>
> The cables look OK to me. Should the cables be lubricated?
The cables and pulleys should be lubricated once or twice a year. Since
you've got metal-to-metal contact of the strands and the pulleys, reducing the
system friction makes it work smoother and decreases wear.
Use a real live cable lubricant. A good one that is approved by cable
manufacturers is PreLube 6 handled by Champion Radio Products
(www.championradio.com or 888-833-3104) It's $7.00 a can.
> If the cable strands are not broken would you replace them anyway after
> several years?
Several? Or in your case - 20? US Towers current factory policy is to
replace the cables and pulleys every 3 years. Is 20 years too long? Probably.
Is 3 years too often? Depends on who you talk to.
A good rule of thumb is that if you can see broken strands, cable or
pulley damage of any type or significant rust - then they should be replaced.
>
> Is there anything I should be doing to make it last another 40 years?
>
Start by replacing the cables and pulleys. Contact the manufacturer for
factory parts.
Two things you can do to prolong cable life beside using cable lubricant
is 1) exercise the system at least once a month by running it up and down at
least once and 2) don't always have the tower extended or nested at exactly
the same spot vary it a couple of inches each time. The cables will take a set
when they are always in the same position.
Cheers, Steve K7LXC
Champion Radio Products
--
FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests: towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: owner-towertalk@contesting.com
Search: http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm
|