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Re: [TowerTalk] Yet another worm gear box failure...

To: 'Ray Benny' <rayn6vr@cableone.net>, Scott MacKenzie <kb0fhp@verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Yet another worm gear box failure...
From: Rich Hallman - N7TR <rich@n7tr.com>
Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2012 23:32:17 +0000
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
I just checked two of my crankups and the HDX-689 has a Hub City 381 60:1 
reduction....and the HDX-589 has a Hub City 321 60:1 Reduction.

The HDX-572 is painted over and cannot see the model...Im going to replace that 
box since I think this is the original Tristao model.

73  Rich N7TR

-----Original Message-----
From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Ray Benny
Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2012 12:36 PM
To: Scott MacKenzie
Cc: KJ6Y@aol.com; towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Yet another worm gear box failure...

I've witnessed two such failures, both were on older Tristao towers.

The first happened during the hayday of the N6DX Mallibu hilltop contest 
station. We were raising a 72ft Tristao tower using its electric winch system, 
got about 2/3 up and crack!, the tower started to collapse into itself. Of 
course, we ran away as fast as possible. The fault, the weld on the 1 inch 
shaft to the multi-groove pulley broke. All tension on the cable was released 
so down it came. The tower was destroyed. At the time the tower was loaded with 
a tailtwister rotator, 15ft mast and 4el yagis for 20 & 15m. The antennas were 
repairable with a lot of work.

Just recently, my old Tristao, CZ471 collasped into itself. The fault, the 
flange idler bearing that held the 1" drive shaft dead -end in place pulled 
apart releasing tension on the raising cable. Just a few days earlier, I had 
replaced the old bearing with an American made Dodge bearing.. This bearing was 
made of pot metal while the original bearing was made of a single piece of 
steel machined with the roller bearing pressed in. The tower is beyond repair. 
It was loaded with with tailtwister rotator, 16ft mast, a C4SXL large 
tribander, and a full size 2el 30m yagi. I'm guessing total weight was about 
300 lbs. Again, antennas are repairable but with a ot work.

My recommendation, if anyone has the old multi-groove drum/Hub city raising 
system (pre '80s, not sure of this date), replace it as soon as possible with a 
newer version  from either US Towers or Tashjian towers.

Ray,
N6VR

On Sat, Oct 13, 2012 at 10:46 AM, Scott MacKenzie <kb0fhp@verizon.net>wrote:

> Any one have any quality photographs of the shaft failure?  I am 
> looking at photographs of the fracture surface.  That should tell us 
> the mechanism of failure.
>
> Scott
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of  
> KJ6Y@aol.com
> Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2012 1:37 PM
> To: dino@kx6d.com; towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Yet another worm gear box failure...
>
> Mike's tower sounds like the shaft broke and not a gearbox failure.   On
> the older MD-750 motor drives, the shaft was 1 inch coming out of the 
> gearbox. (Tristao and then US Tower).  US Tower then went to a larger 
> shaft, 1 1/4 or 1 1/2, don't remember which.  Have not seen any of the 
> newer ones fail.
>  There is a lot of tension on that multi groove pulley,  especially 
> when hams have a tendency to overload their tower. It's not just wind  
> load but weight.  Those towers have a weight limit.  Add it all up,  
> mast, rotor, antennas, cables, etc and I'm sure you'll see more weight 
> then you  thought.
>
> Regular maintenance and inspections should be done.
>
> Skip, _KJ6Y_ (http://www.kj6y.com/)
> _Communications Service Co_ (http://www.communicationsserviceco.com/)
> 818-887-3569
> _______________________________________________
>
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