[TowerTalk] C31XR Installation (long)

[NK7J]

Well after a LONG day I finally got my C31XR in the air. Later this week we are suppose to get bad WX for quite a while so I took the day off work to get my Cushcraft A505s and C31XR up. My plan was to be done by no later than 2Pm. I had my usual father in law helper who is not a ham but loves to help with tower stuff. 

We started early and assembled the c31xr in about an hour and a half. Took a little longer due to having to do the mod for "romex" feed between the 20 and 10 meter drivers.  
Already had the 6 meter ready and had already rigged the tower with ropes yesterday. We used a tram line setup for both antennas using four wheelers as both anchor and pull device. 

The 6 meter was not much problem (of course it only weighs like 15 lbs). Raising the mast back up WAS a problem. This burnt allot of time. When I installed the mast a couple weeks back I could by hand raise and lower it no problem. Went to raise it and could only get it to come up a few inches. Tried the come along method with no luck at all. After spending over an hour messing with it I rappelled down to the ground for a break and to grab a bottle jack and a oak 3"x4". Couple doughnuts later and back up I go ( wish up was a fast as down). 

Put the bottle jack in and she raised up a whole 2 inches. I could not figure out what was wrong. Finally after checking the set screws in the bearings for the 50th time I noticed that the retainer ring for the top bearing was a little off kilter. This bearing is a older one of unknown make. After prying on it for a but with a large screwdriver I broke it loose. Wala I could move the mast. This after almost three hours! Note to self - CHECK THE RETAINER RING NEXT TIME BOZO!
Also it helps to remove rigging from mast!!!!

So mast up, install T2X, re rig for bigger antenna.  I put the tram rope up about 4 feet from the top of the tower. In retrospect higher would not have hurt at all. I put the pull rope pulley directly below the tram rope.  So up we go, everything goes pretty smooth until right a the top my sling that is holding the pulley slides down the mast about a foot. #$&$#!
 
Looking the situation over I decide to go ahead and make a go of it. All is going good then ooops the figure eight is now against the pulley, no more up, and I am about 16 inches shy of where I want to be. Again #$&#!

Normally I would have used my come along to take the weight of the antenna and do it that way, that is if I had not sent the come along back to the ground and now both my ropes are tied up with the antenna. Once again #$&$#!

Ok this thing only weighs 85lbs so the book sez, hardly any breeze, yeah I can lift it in place. After messing with this procedure for a while I finally get one of the top u bolts in and have my help give some slack on the tram line. After some more fighting, and by the way we now have a 15Mph wind at 105ft up, I manage to get another bolt in. Now were talking, never mind it took three times longer than needed and that twinge in the back is just pulled muscles, no biggie.

Well after a LONG day on the tower I now have my C31XR and 6 meter antennas up. Not sure if they work due to the fact I have to get the coax into the room yet. BUT they do look nice at their new homes at 105 and 115ft.

My last antennas for Ham went up smoothly but this thing was a pain, nothing to do with the antenna, just poor planning on my part.
I think I got flustered after the mast ordeal and made things go much more difficult. After that many hours on the tower it is easy to mess up, I work on towers allot for a living but the antennas are much smaller. 

Things I re-learned today. ALWAYS take the 5mm rope up with you no matter how easy the job seems, the extra rope would have been handy. ALWAYS keep the come along up with you when using the tram method. NEVER let yourself get that tired on the tower. ALWAYS check binding areas on masts before raising or lowering. You can NEVER have too many slings with you. PLAN PLAN PLAN before hand, it is much easier to work on the ground. And finally WHY did I have to wait for bad WX to do this???

Ohh and by the way the C31XR is a breeze to assemble and looks like it is very well built. Wish I could say the same for the Cushcraft a 50 5s.
One more thing the 2 PM timeline? yeah right, got everything put away around 5PM.

God Bless
Jack NK7J