A curiosity question: I recently bought a half dozen Black Diamond brand
carabiners for tower work at a local mountaineering shop. They are 26 kN
end-to-end pull strength, which if I understand the rough conversion
correctly (about 225 lb per kN) would give them roughly 6600 lb of breaking
strength. They are extremely light - no, make that incredibly light - for
their strength, and are made of 7075-T6 aluminum, a material I'm not
familiar with. What are examples of other things out there commonly made
from 7075-T6? Surely tubing must be available made from this stuff - is it
ridiculously expensive, a la titanium and such? The carabiners seem
relatively inexpensive at about $8 a pop, with those of lesser capacity
going for as little as $5 each. I'd think 20' of tubing made from this stuff
would be the all time killer mast, unless there are other hardness or
stiffness factors that would prohibit its use when compared to high strength
carbon or chromoly steel. Any experts out there?
73, Jerry W5KP
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