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Re: [TowerTalk] Crank up tower bracing rubbing against cable

To: "Bob K6UJ" <k6uj@pacbell.net>, <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Crank up tower bracing rubbing against cable
From: "K0DAN" <k0dan@comcast.net>
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2012 16:29:00 -0500
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Another improvised "leverage amplifier" is a large tire iron used to mount/unmount truck tires. Years ago a contractor gave me one of these, it's about 5' long made of really hard 3/4" steel. It does NOT bend, and has a nice tapered lip on it for where it's supposed to pry the tire rubber on/off the wheel rim. Works great as a big pry bar and I have used it on the tower to make all the bolt holes line up when using the tilt-over feature. I never thought about using it to correct bent side braces but I'll bet it work super, and is also small/light enough to fit between nested tower sections.

Don't know where a person would buy one, but it might be possible to rent one for a couple bucks from any tire repair shop that services tires for semi's.

GL es 73

Dan
K0DAN

-----Original Message----- From: Bob K6UJ
Sent: October 19, 2012 04:06 PM
To: towertalk@contesting.com Talk
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Crank up tower bracing rubbing against cable

Thats what I did to tweak my two bent round bar braces braces back out on my tower. I used a pry bar and slid a 10 foot length of 2" water pipe over it for extra leverage. Didnt need to be that long but it was what I had on hand. Just a little nudge at a
time and keep checking does the trick.

Bob
K6UJ


On Oct 19, 2012, at 11:45 AM, TexasRF@aol.com wrote:

Jonathan, this sounds like a recipe for disaster! 300 to 500 pounds of
force is one matter; making sure you don't exceed that with a vehicle is
another  matter. I have seen no 500 pound fuses.

Another consideration is if the tower can handle that much force. 500
pounds at the end of a 20ft lever (telescoped tower) is 10,000 ft pounds/12000
inch pounds of over turning force!

A longer crow bar can be as simple as the existing crow bar with a length
of pipe slipped over the end.

73,
Gerald K5GW





In a message dated 10/19/2012 1:20:48 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
jj_2_woo@yahoo.com writes:

Hi  All,

Thank you the replies.  I also received many replies in  private.  Many of
you suggested of bending the bracing with a crow bar or  hitting it with a
piece of wood. Well, I tried both methods today and neither of them worked.
I would need a really long crow bar to bend that  thing.  The wood method
didn't work as the wood absorbed all the  pounding.

I have an idea that might work and save me a lot of  time.  My tower is
very close to my driveway. I could tie a cable to the bracing and attach the other end to a winch or a vehicle. With a 300-500lb force I should be able to bend the bracing just enough to clear the interference. When retracted
the tower should be able to withstand the  pulling force, I hope.  Since I
don't have a winch I will have to ask my neighbors for help. I will report
back on my progress and result.   Thanks and 73.

Best Regards,
Jonathan Woo, W6GX
(970)  646-1711
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