[TowerTalk] USTowers and cables - Summary

[N3SL@aol.com]

To ALL who responded:  A very large THANK YOU!  It has been 2 weeks since I 
sent out the "cry" for help, and I received no fewer than 67 responses!   Far 
and away the most common was "I have the exact same problem (or some 
variation).  Please share any info you find out."  The second most common 
was, "I have a similar setup and have not found a good solution."  I was 
getting very discouraged, to say the least, and thinking that USTower 
obviously had a major design/engineering/information sharing problem on their 
hands!  

Rather than make this very long winded, here's what I've deduced from the 
guys who actually have a workable solution to the problem.  The extent to 
which some people have gone to "fix" this is mind boggling, while often 
rather ingenious.  However, here's what I would summarize as the "best" way 
to do this:

Critical step:  Bundle your cables so they move as one, whatever that takes, 
and whatever method you choose.  I now have mine done with zip ties every 2 
feet, which seems to work.  I chose a 2' interval because I was using the 
smallest ties I could.  I started with fairly heavy duty ones, and the heads 
were big enough to occasionally "catch" as the cable moved up or down through 
the rings.  I'm sure tape would work, but it didn't strike me as nearly as 
"permanent."

Hang the cable from the top arm ONLY.  Everyone with an installation where 
the cables were tied at each arm had problems with the loops catching when 
the tower was being extended.   This method is not perfect, either, as you 
have to deal with the pile of cable coming all the way to the ground.  One 
person had mitigated that problem by putting a 6' arm on the bottom section, 
attaching the cable there and letting one BIG loop form.  The 6' spacing from 
the tower seemed to prevent any tangling on the way back up, although not 
100%.

Clearly, the most useful information came from Dick Flanagan, W6OLD: complete 
with a web site and pictures.  The two things he's done that no one else 
mentioned are shown in photos on his web pages:  put corrugated plastic 
tubing over the coax arm rings to prevent snags, and use Kellam grips at the 
top.  Once I saw the pictures, it was a "DUH!" reaction on my part - like 
"how obvious!"  I have yet to do these two things, but they're at the top of 
the list when the weather gets good enough to dedicate the time needed.   His 
web page is at
     www.qsl.net/w6old/party.html
but the 2 really "critical" pictures are 
     www.qsl.net/w6old/images/party/kellems.jpeg
     www.qsl.net/w6old/images/party/coaxarm.jpeg

Again, a sincere thanks to all who responded.  I started by responding to 
each message, but the input was so overwhelming, I couldn't keep up.  Some 
even sent phone numbers and offers to discuss things with me for ideas.  A 
truly incredible reflector group!!!  Good luck to all of you who are in the 
same boat I was in.

73,
Steve, N3SL

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