[Towertalk] Heavy winds...

[Robert Shohet]

Hi Mike,

While a second thrust bearing helps and both my towers have two thrust
bearings, I can tell you that it will NOT eliminate the problem of loosening
rotator bolts in my Rohn rotator plates and T2X rotators.

At my QTH, on top of a big hill with heavy winds a possibility at any time,
I expect the rotator bolts to loosen markedly over a period of 4 - 6 months.
Sometimes they even fall out before the next tower project!

Loctite helps as does using a split lockwasher, but there are no guarantees,
especially if it has been a windy season (this year has not been so far).

It is important to climb the tower every so often just to make sure that the
bolts are still tight.

73

Bob KQ2M

> All this talk of loosened (presumably by heavy winds)
> rotator bolts has me thinking... would not the
> presence of a second thrust bearing (between the main
> thrust bearing and the rotator) practically eliminate
> this problem?
>
> Either way, it seems that applying the removable kind
> of Loctite is a wise move.
>
> Mike N2MG