Tower ropes

[Robert Neece]

Steve, K7LXC, writes:

>    Another handy characteristic to consider is rope suppleness. That is, is
>it soft or hard?  Polypropylene is a hard rope and doesn't take a knot
>easily.  A nylon climbing or yachting rope is soft and will take a knot
>easily, which means that it'll hold a knot as well.  

Attachments to a haul line are most often made at one of the ends.  Affix
one or more attachment tails of soft rope to the end of the haul line.  
Unless one needs the full working strength of the haul line, the tails
can be of a smaller diameter.  All of this makes knotting easy, and
prevents fraying of the end of the main rope with use over time.
Replace the tails as they wear out.

Steve might even have expounded on all of this in his valuable NCJ
article.

>    BTW, climbing ropes generally aren't long enough for most tower work.
> For a 100 foot tower, you'll need about 225 feet (twice the height plus 25%)
>for best results.

If one expects to own only *one* high-quality haul line, a 225-foot 
length *might* prove to be much too short for use on a 100-foot tower.  
Imagine, for example, that a yagi-raising trolley system is to be used.
It is easier to raise a yagi with a trolley if the slope of the trolley line
is more gradual than, say, the slope of the guy wires.  A trolley line
for a 100-foot tower might easily be 200 feet in length.

Ergo:

200'(trolley-line length) + 100'(tower height) + 25'(for handling and
feeding) = 325' minimum length for a 100 foot tower.

__
73 de Bob, K0KR