CAUTION on Guy Grips!!!!! (and a note on Nicopress fittings)

[ki3v at connectus.com]

        > 
>>I bought 100 grips at the place that sells them to small utility
companies
>>for about $1 each (much cheaper than Texas Towers), and the cable
seemed 
>>to be free (it isn't hard to find as people don't like to use it).
>
>Tree--
>Just a word of caution about Preformed Line Products cable
terminations.
>There are a number of different products for different applications
and they
>should be thought of more as precision tools rather than a hunk of
steel.
>Using the wrong product can range anywhere from "no problem" to very
dangerous.
>
>The "Guy Grips" used by utility companies are a different product than
the
>"Big Grips" used for tower and antenna guying.  Actually the utilities
will
>probably use both types depending on the application, and may have a
few
>other types as well.  The "Big Grips" are the correct product and are
more
>expensive than the "Guy Grips".   For example, the Big Grip used on
3/16 EHS
>1x7 guy strand is longer and has one more strand than the Guy Grip
that can
>be used on the same product.  It is safer and more "heavy duty".
>
>There are different products for Galvanized Steel (which includes EHS,
HS,
>Siemens Martin, and Utilities grade guy strand), Alumoweld,
Aluminized,
>Copperweld, Stainless Steel. and Fiberglass guying and wiring
products.  Not
>to mention (but I will anyway) different products for 3 and 7 strand
cable
>and of course you have to use the proper product for the lay of the
guy
>wire.  Both left hand and right hand lay are available, and the grip
lay
>should match the guy wire lay.
>
>One common grip that the utilities use is for the aluminum 1x7 wire
that is
>used as a "drop" from the utility pole to the house.  This wire has a
single
>steel strand for the core and the remaining strands are aluminum for
their
>conductivity.  You really don't want to use one of these grips on your
>tower.  It will probably hold but may be the weak link and is not
specified
>for tower applications or use on galvanized steel.
>
>BTW Grips are specified only for use for a maximum of three
installations
>(for retensioning) and then only if they occur within three months
because
>of the possibility of deterioration of the coating on the inner
surface that
>inhances the grip.  (This coating is very hard on gloves and after
extensive
>testing of all of the various kinds of leather gloves that I could
find I
>have determined that pigskin work gloves are 3 or 4 times more wear
>resistant than the next nearest leather material.)
>
>I wouldn't use a grip if it didn't have its label anymore (BTW they
are
>color coded as well--but the codes overlap--since there are a lot more
grip
>types  than colors) and if I hadn't confirmed it to be the right tool
for
>the job.
>
>If your life or property depends on a safe tower installation, I would
>contact Preformed Line Products at PO Box 91129,  Cleveland, OH 44101.
>Phone 216-461-5200.
>
>
>**************
>Nicopress fittings are available from many other companies (such as
Indusco
>and Newco) in both copper and aluminum.  (The little aluminum ovals
that are
>crimped onto the cable on winches.)  These were designed for use on
aircraft
>cable and when I wrote Nicopress about their use on 1x7 EHS guy strand
>(sometime in the 1970s--been doing this a long time) they said they
had no
>information on their rating for 1x7 EHS but would test them.  I have
been
>unable to find the test results that they sent me (almost 20 years ago
and
>my filing system isn't that good) but my recollection is that in most
cases
>2 of the fittings were stronger than the cable itself, but that in at
least
>one test the 2-fitting setup failed before the guy strand.  Their
conclusion
>was that 3 were required on 1x7 to guarantee that the fittings were
stronger
>than the cable.  Of course use of the proper tool is also required--I
have
>heard of people "setting" them with a hammer--shudder.  The tool for
the
>fittings for 1/4 cable gets pretty expensive, especially if you are
only
>going to do a few.  (Think I paid quite a bit over a hundred bucks in
the
>70s for mine.)  And you need to do the proper number of crimps for the
>fitting you are using, of course.
>
>Hope this info is of some use--I am not an expert, just an informed
user, so
>don't expect me to answer specific questions.  If you want to do
things
>right get the technical information from the appropriate companies and
get
>their recommendations, you are paying for their lawyers anyway.
>
>73  John  W0UN
>
>
>John Brosnahan    W0UN
>La Salle Research Corp      24115 WCR 40     La Salle, CO 80645  USA
>voice 970-284-6602            fax 970-284-0979           email
broz at csn.net
>

   I have used the Preformed Line products FOR the 1/4 inch EHS cable. 
Paid abt $1 each for them.   Break strength on the preform was abt
1000lbs more than the EHS itself.  These preforms are installed on a
100 ft Rohn 25 tower and has MANY HF beams on it. The tower has been up
for over 8 years.   Dont think there has been a year we didnt have
winds over 80-90 miles/hour.   One year a 102 Mph gust was clocked.  
Antennas are Ok,  Tower stayed up, nothing failed.

  If I have a choice on $3.99-4.99 per grip or $1 per grip.....Think
many of the BIG stations in the Pacific Northwest are using these same
preforms....If they are designed for 1/4 EHS Galv cable.....They should
work.   Talked to an engineer before I bought mine and said there was
no problem.     Guess im just cheap...



73,  Rich  KI3V/7  ki3v at connectus.com