[TowerTalk] Could not believe my eyes

[K7LXC@aol.com]

In a message dated 98-06-18 15:45:47 EDT, k0wa@southwind.net writes:

<<   I looked down the tower and I could see the torque
 created by the beam actually twisting the tower!  I have guys at 55 feet (60
 foot tower) and at 35 feet with the old Rohn torque bars.
 
 I ran over to one guy point and the guys were very, very, very loose.
 Between Winter and Spring the guys had relaxed quite a bit because of the
 tempurature change.  I started cranking on the turnbuckles...to take up the
 slack.  AFter I tightened them all up, the twisting motion of the tower
 could not be detected.
 
 I just got to remember to check the tower every month.  I hope you all are
 doing the same... >>

      Hmm - you shouldn't have to do that. There's something fishy here. You
just fixed the symptom. 

      Properly installed EHS doesn't stretch enough to make them that loose.
Something has changed. How many turns did you take on the turnbuckles? All of
them or just one?

       The cable could have pulled through a loose cable clamp. Check them for
proper tightness. 

        The anchors could have shifted. Spray paint the anchor rod flush to
the ground then the next time you check it you can see if it's pulled out. 

        The turnbuckles could have loosened up. After proper tensioning, run a
length of cable through the TB eyes and bodies in a safety loop. It'll keep
them from turning accidentally again.

        Maybe you had some vandalism and they loosened the TB's.

        While an annual inspection is highly recommended, doing it monthly
should not be necessary for a properly installed tower. 

Cheers,  Steve  K7LXC

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