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Re: [TowerTalk] Turnbuckles with Rod Sides

To: "'Bob Shohet, KQ2M'" <kq2m@kq2m.com>, "'Wayne Kline'" <w3ea@hotmail.com>, "'Keith Dutson'" <kdutson@sbcglobal.net>, <k1ttt@arrl.net>, <towertalk@contesting.com>, "'Grant Saviers'" <grants2@pacbell.net>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Turnbuckles with Rod Sides
From: "Tonno Vahk" <tonno.vahk@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2017 14:55:50 +0300
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Oh, hold on guys!:) The 15m array is still up and running! Good way to get 
those rumors going:) I did lose another 45m rotating tower 2-3 years ago though 
due to the turnbuckle failure. The tower went back up last autumn with new 
antennas. It was a painful lesson and certainly I am using safety wires on all 
my turnbuckles now!

I did learn about the saddling of the dead horse thing and have fixed the wire 
rope clips. The only thing that I am probably not doing right is the distance 
between wire rope clips on the wire. Given I had quite long ends of the wire 
left over I left also half a meter or more between 4 wire rope clips (the first 
one right after the thimble).

Is it and why is it crucial to keep the wire rope clip close to each other on 
the wire (2" or so)?

73
Tonno
ES5TV

-----Original Message-----
From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Bob 
Shohet, KQ2M
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2017 5:25 AM
To: Wayne Kline <w3ea@hotmail.com>; Keith Dutson <kdutson@sbcglobal.net>; 
k1ttt@arrl.net; towertalk@contesting.com; Grant Saviers <grants2@pacbell.net>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Turnbuckles with Rod Sides

I’m sorry to learn that Tonno lost his tower and incredible  8 x 5 L array.  
It’s terrible that it happened when it was so easily preventable!

For each of my tower guys, I always cut them so that each guy has an extra 5 ‘ 
– 10’ of 1/4” EHS left over, and then, rather than cut off the excess, I simply 
run the extra through both ends of all the turnbuckles and then through all the 
bolts on the equalizer plate.

It doesn’t make any sense to allow the turnbuckles to potentially turn and undo 
themselves and thereby jeopardize the tower.  I even use ice clips for the same 
reason on every guy wire – to potentially prevent yet another mode of failure – 
especially one that is so prevalent at my qth.

73

Bob  KQ2M

From: Grant Saviers
Sent: Monday, September 11, 2017 9:43 PM
To: Wayne Kline ; Keith Dutson ; k1ttt@arrl.net ; towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Turnbuckles with Rod Sides

The wire rope clips are also completely misplaced on the ES5TV guys.  
They should be about 2" apart and first one tight to the thimble.  I can't tell 
from the video if he saddled a dead horse. l'd also bet there was no torque 
wrench used.  It looks like pretty skimpy wire and turnbuckles for that load 
even with 5 levels of guys.  Sad.  So easy to do right.

A figure eight of EHS thru the eyes/jaws and center not only prevents rotation 
but covers several turnbuckle failure modes as well (done on my tower).  If the 
thimble and anchor shackle are large enough to thread the EHS thru then with 
any turnbuckle failure the guy is still attached.

Grant KZ1W

On 9/11/2017 16:34 PM, Wayne Kline wrote:
> If my gray matter recalls,  ES5TV  lost his fantastic  8 -  5 element   H 
> frame ARRAY  because he did not use safety wires  on the turnbuckles and lost 
>  the installation    !    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9fDlbIFhMs&t=7s
>
>
>   Wayne  W3EA
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: TowerTalk <towertalk-bounces@contesting.com> on behalf of Wayne 
> Kline <w3ea@hotmail.com>
> Sent: Monday, September 11, 2017 7:26 PM
> To: Keith Dutson; k1ttt@arrl.net; towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Turnbuckles with Rod Sides
>
> I Ditto that Dave.
>
>
> The Bible ( Rohn Catalogs ) as  far back as I can remember always had 
> a diagram in the  "general " Tab of the catalog  regarding
>
> A: the Safety Wire ( through the turnbuckles Bodies and Eyes   )
>
>
> B: and if not using  PLP Preforms  Serving the EHS guy wire   . after the 
> last cable clamp .
>
>
> Wayne W3EA
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: TowerTalk <towertalk-bounces@contesting.com> on behalf of Keith 
> Dutson <kdutson@sbcglobal.net>
> Sent: Monday, September 11, 2017 5:43 PM
> To: k1ttt@arrl.net; towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Turnbuckles with Rod Sides
>
> Same here.  That 1/4 EHS works great.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of 
> David Robbins
> Sent: Monday, September 11, 2017 4:01 PM
> To: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Turnbuckles with Rod Sides
>
>> When using turnbuckles, *don't forget to safety wire them*.  I have 
>> never
> seen a ham safety wire a turnbuckle.
>
> My turnbuckles are all wired.  I just take a cut off piece of guy wire 
> and loop it through the bodies of all the turnbuckles and then through 
> the live side eyes, that way neither side can turn.
>
> David Robbins K1TTT
> e-mail: mailto:k1ttt@arrl.net
> web: http://wiki.k1ttt.net
> AR-Cluster node: 145.69MHz or telnet://k1ttt.net:7373
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of 
> Roger
> (K8RI) on TT
> Sent: Monday, September 11, 2017 20:39
> To: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Turnbuckles with Rod Sides
>
>
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