[TowerTalk] Have you had a crank-up come down?

[JSheinb785@aol.com]

I had a Tristao (now US Towers) HDX555 motorized tower 
which was about 20 years old, & on which I'd never changed the cables (a NO 
NO). On fathers day 1998 I went outside to raise it & the cable broke,due to 
rust (which I found out too late). I had a 12 element 2 meter beam at the 
top, a 10/15 meter duobander (Hygain) in middle, and a 4 element 20 meter 
monobander (Hygain) just above the top of the tower.  Unfortunately I had the 
coax cables inside the tower & when it came telescoping down it all jammed up 
at the bottom & ruined the tower.  All the beams were "inverted" beams due to 
the inertia of the fall (they still worked!). The tower was mounted on a 
4'x4'x7' reinforced concrete base (about 15000 lb.) which was poured in 1978 
for a lighter duty crank up by Tristao.
I've since replaced all with two new Hygain beams plus a 2 meter vertical and 
a new US Towers HDX555/MDP750. & am quite happy with it.
I've never heard of a self supporting crankup falling over if the base was 
properly installed.
NEVER RUN THE CABLES INSIDE THE TOWER.
73,
Joe WD5FHG
Corpus Christi Texas
Where the salt air eats everything!

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