I wasn't aware of Kellems, but I'd have used them if I had known of
them.
I see that you have to run the cables through them before connectors are
installed.
I used a gray (2"?) PVC 90-degree sweep tube taped to the coax standoff
arm with the 10 or 20 mil gas pipe tape that Home Depot sells. I used
the same tape to tape the cables to the coax standoff off before they
went into PVC. The sweep prevented the cables from deforming from a
sharp bend, and the tape help it all in place. Not elegant but it
worked.
With my first crank-up tower, I taped the cables to each coax stand-off
arm, which supported the cables just fine, but it wasn't esthetically
appealing, especially when the tower wasn't fully extended.
Jim N7US
-------- Original Message --------
It always astonishes me that hams as a class are so focused on saving a
few bucks. Usually, there is exactly *one* way to do something right and
that way may not be the least expensive way but it will be the accepted
right way, proved by engineering design and field use.
Surely you can tie coat hanger wire and rope of all kinds around coax to
hold it up to the top of a telescoping tower; I've had both suggested as
the way to go. But, when you look at professional installations of many
kinds of cables, you find Kellems grips. Really, there is a reason!
Several years ago I discussed Kellems grips on this reflector at some
length. My grips are still holding all my coax and rotor cables from the
top of my tower, with the cable bundle hanging down supported against
sway by a spring-tensioned Phillystrand cable. This has been completely
reliable.
Further, I have no rust on the Kellems grips. I did not buy the more
expensive stainless steel grips. I bought the standard--which is not
galvanized steel, but rather tin-coated bronze. Now, you might find some
corrosion on bronze, but you will never find rust! But, bronze is
remarkably corrosion-resistant, except in an intense salt spray marine
environment.
If Kellems has galvanized steel grips available, they are not shown in
my Kellems catalog. So, these standard bronze grips simply can't rust.
The standard tin-coated bronze light-duty grips for RG-8 size coax cost
about $7 and the heavy-duty grips cost about $18. But, you use only one
per coax (or, group of coaxes, if meeting Kellems standards) and only at
the top of the tower. So, how much can that cost, really? Isn't peace of
mind worth doing the job right?
Now, before all you penny-pinchers shout down my throat, understand that
I agree you have a right to your own opinion and I support that right
fully. But, I don't have to agree with you, nor you with me. We each do
what we think best but I choose to do this coax-support job per industry
standard.
> Yes, high quality rope (e.g., dacron) serves the purpose very well and at
> much lower cost. Dacron will survive much longer than galvanized
> Kellums grips.
--
Best wishes,
Larry McDavid W6FUB
Anaheim, CA (20 miles southeast of Los Angeles, near Disneyland)
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