I measure the ID of the corner tube where I want to attach something then
buy 2 ea 12 inch pieces of all thread rod to slip inside. I buy 2 nuts for
each rod. Clamp the nuts onto a drilled piece of bar or angle to support
whatever you wish to attach.
I have actually used this method to attach a piece of 8 inch aluminum
channel with one side resting on my tower top to support a small car jack to
lift my mast so a rotator can be removed for repair. Part of this setup was
a vertical plate attached to the mast with muffler clamps and extending
outward over the channel to engage the top of the jack. The jack was a
scissor job with a slot across the top as some of them do. The tower has
dual thrust bearings which need to be loosened.
73, Dan, N5AR
On Fri, Mar 25, 2011 at 4:52 AM, Alan NV8A <nv8a@charter.net> wrote:
> The US Tower catalog on line seems to be exactly the same as the printed
> one I got before I bought my tower -- copyright date is 1986!! Although
> it shows U-bolt-attached standoffs, what I received were the ones that
> bolt to the top of each section. I'm having a hard job envisaging how
> ones with U-bolts could be used anywhere but on the top section.
>
> Alan NV8A
>
> On 03/25/11 06:50 am, Jim McDonald wrote:
>
> > The Kellem Grips look easier to use than my PVC sweep. I used a 2" gray,
> > electrical PVC which runs through the loop at the end of the coax arm.
> My
> > tower and arms are 1994 vintage, and I think the newer ones have smaller,
> > oval shaped loops; the PVC sweep wouldn't work on those, so the Kellem
> Grips
> > would make sense.
> >
> > To attach the PVC sweep I used black 10 mil or maybe 20 mil tape that I
> > think is sold as covering gas pipe in the home improvement stores. I had
> to
> > be careful to position it so the bottom edge of the top of the PVC didn't
> > press into the cables. I taped the cables to the top of the standoff arm
> > with the same, heavy duty tape.
> >
> > I've heard of others using a block of wood with a gentle curve taped to
> the
> > top of the arm too.
> >
> > My 2" PVC filled up quickly with cables, so that the last cable with its
> > attached Yaesu rotor plug had to be taped to the outside of the tube.
> >
> > Given all of that, honestly, if I were doing it over, I'd use the Kellem
> > grips if you could find the right size.
> >
> > The US Tower ham catalog has their inverted vee (or whatever) hanger on
> page
> > 3. http://www.ustower.com/uploads/pdf_file/HAM%20CATALOG.pdf . It's
> now
> > called an IV-16. The current IV-16 appears to use a U-bolt to faster to
> a
> > tower leg. That is a better design that my old one, which has a captive
> > mast sleeve and must be slipped down the mast before any antennas are
> > installed. The wire antenna keeps it from rotating when the mast is
> turned,
> > but I use a couple of bungee cords too.
> >
> > The current production coax standoff arms in the US Tower catalog are
> also
> > different than my older ones. Mine bolt to the top of each section with
> > predrilled, matching holes. The current ones, on the same page of the
> > catalog, appear to attach to a leg with a U-bolt. In this case, I like
> the
> > ones I have because they have a two-point mount.
> >
> > Jim N7US
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> >
> >
> > I don't think I'd encountered the suggestion to use a PVC sweep to ease
> > the strain on the cables. I used "Kellem grips," secured by small hose
> > clamps to the loop on the top standoff, to suspend the cables -- either
> > individually or in small bundles -- leaving some slack above.
> >
> > I've never found Kellem grips in the "home improvement" stores, but my
> > local "real electrical supply houses" stock them.
> >
> >
> > 73
> >
> > Alan NV8A
> >
> > On 03/24/11 11:23 pm, Jim McDonald wrote:
> >
> >> On my US Tower HDX-589 I use factory coax standoff arms, with a
> 90-degree
> >> PVC sweep on the top one arm to minimize strain from the weight of the
> >> hanging cables.
> >>
> >> I use the US Tower inverted vee hanger just above the thrust bearing to
> >> support an inverted vee. It mounts as a sleeve around the mast and is
> in
> >> the UST catalog.
> >>
> >> I have used a short length of conduit attached to the top section with
> > small
> >> U-bolts to hold another inverted vee.
> >>
> >> I have a small aluminum bracket attached to the top of one leg of the
> top
> >> section to attach a half-sloper.
> >>
> >> I also have a DX Engineering remote switch attached to another leg at
> the
> >> top of the top section.
> >>
> >> It's essential, obviously, to be careful to keep the rotor loop of
> cables
> >> going to the mast from snagging in that stuff.
> >>
> >> I took pictures from the ground with a telephoto lens recently if you
> want
> >> me to send you any.
> >>
> >> Jim N7US
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >>
> >> I am finding it interesting to engineer a way way to attach things to a
> >> crank up tower. It looks like the cable standoffs are done with small U
> >> bolts. I'm considering having a light plate made to bolt to the outside
> of
> >> the face with pulleys.
> >>
> >> How do you attach things (like wire antennae or standoffs) to your
> > crank-up
> >> tower?
> >>
> >> 73,
> >>
> >> Mickey N4MB
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > TowerTalk@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> >
>
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