US TOWER TX489MDPL Series Towers Quest.

[Leikhim, Joe]

Hey All;

I just purchased a used 7 year old US Tower TX489MDPL 89 foot 
freestanding crank up (motorized) and raising fixture.

I am interested in responses from others familiar with this tower. It 
appears to be in pretty solid condition, but I see that I should do some 
cleaning up before putting serious loads on it.

1. I note that one of the aircraft cables has a 24 inch portion with 
some moderate surface rust. The manual says to replace the cable every 3 
years. (I doubt anyone replaces it that often, but if it comes down I 
guess US Tower is off the hook if you haven't ordered a new cable from 
them). At $200 for the cable set, how does one tell when it's ready to 
be replaced?

2. Some of the galvanization has flaked off a couple of the angles which 
ride down the inside of the tower, possibly from rotor torque. The rust 
is very minor and should wire brush off easily. What paint or other 
preparation should I treat those areas with?? 

3. Have you ordered US Towers $25 engineering packet? What does it 
contain? Is the data sufficient enough so that I can determine from a 
professional soil analysis, how much of a foundation is required, or do 
I need a P.E. to interpret?

4. Does the engineering packet contain a detailed parts list so that I 
can order bolts, nuts, etc to facilitate a decent overhaul??

5. What experiences have you had with this tower, anything to watch out 
for? It is more a piece of machinery than a tower! One thing which 
concerns me, is cable failure. Has anyone experienced this with an 89 
footer?? What happened?? Has anyone devised a brake or other device to 
cushion such a failure?

-- 
Joe Leikhim
Jleikhim@nettally.com

"tv dinner by the pool, 
i'm so glad i finished school" -F.Zappa 1967

"The Revolution will NOT be televised" -Gil Scott Heron


--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 K7LXC@contesting.com
Sponsored by Akorn Access, Inc & KM9P