[TowerTalk] Tramming/Tiller Summary

[Bob Selbrede]

Last week I posed a question to the list regarding the proper way to utilize
a "tiller" while tramming large Yagis up the tower.  This subject seems to
have gotten a fair amount of air-time recently and several good responses
were sent to me.  Thanks to all those who did respond.

While most responses were quite similar on the rigging required to
accomplish the task, there was a fairly even split on how to attach the
tiller on the boom of the antenna.  Several folks said that they attached a
2-3' tiller to the antenna boom, near the boom to mast plate, on the "tower
side" of the antenna and then attached the haul line to the free end of the
tiller and used it to haul the antenna up.  Sorta like pulling a wagon
around by the handle.  This seems to me to be a great way to keep the
antenna properly oriented on the way up without the need for a bunch of tag
lines and people to man them.  Only down side I see is that the end of the
tiller will hit the mast/pulley point well before the antenna is in place
and you would likely need to wrestle with it for the last couple of feet or
rig up another pulley or come-along to drop it in place.

The other method recommended is to attach the tiller to the opposite side of
the boom.  The free end is then attached to the tram line with a pulley or
shackle or whatever and then it "follows" the antenna up keeping it oriented
correctly.  Once you get the boom to mast plate close to the mast you loosen
the tiller clamp on the boom and rotate the elements to be parallel with the
ground (assuming they were tilted up to clear guy wires, etc), and you
should be real close to properly aligned.  Only down side to this approach I
see is the effort required initally to get the tiller attached to the boom
and tram line at the proper angle(s) to be close when you get to the top!

Now it's time to decide if the tiller will drag the antenna or vice versa.
Any further comments or refinements on either of these approaches would
certianly be appreciated.  I installed a permanent ground anchor over the
weekend to attach the lower end of the tram line to so I won't have to use
my Explorer as an anchor anymore.  If the antenna ever got away from the
haul line near the top of the tower it wouldn't be a pretty sight I'm sure!

Thanks again.

73, Bob K6ZZ


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