[TowerTalk] Lowering mast on fixed tower

[Paul Playford]

I have been invited several times to climb steps on the mast to work on
antennas but I get all puckered up on the 1st step and chicken out.  I have
watched others climb these masts but I won't (or can't ?).

So I installed a winch at the top of my LM-470 and a U bolt on the mast just
above the rotator.  I attach the winch cable to the U bolt, take the weight
off the rotator, remove the rotator and then lower the mast inside the tower
to work on the antennas.  If necessary I will remove my 20m yagi from the
mast and temporarily secure it to one side of the tower to lower the mast
and work on the 15m yagi.  When I work on the 10m I loosen the boom to mast
clamp on the 15m and just slide the mast down until I can reach the 10m.
The 20m is too heavy to allow the mast to slide through it's boom to mast
clamp.

de Paul, W8AEF

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ZF2TA  FO8DX  FO0PLA  8Q7AA  XZ0A
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bob Gates" <regates at kingwoodcable.com>
To: "Tower Talk" <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2003 5:38 PM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Lowering mast on fixed tower


> Please excuse what, for most, is probably an elementary question.  But I
feel
> like Rip van Winkle, coming back into the hobby at such a late date.  I
have a
> question that I cannot figure out the solution to in my mind.  Assume a
fixed
> height tower, say Rohn 45G.  Assume a rotor mounted to an accessory plate
5'
> below the top, with a 20' heavy duty mast extending up through the tower,
Then
> assume a yagi installed 10'-12' above the top of the tower.  How does one
> perform maintenance on this antenna?  I assume you would need some means
to
> remove the rotor and lower the mast down through the tower.  After work is
> completed, you would then need to raise the mast back up to the desired
height
> and reinstall the rotor.  The problem is increased if there is another
antenna
> installed on the mast, say 1' above the top of the tower.  Obviously you
could
> hire a crane at a gazillion dollars per hour to pick up the assembly and
set it
> on the ground.  But how would you do it without one?  Realistically, can
you
> climb up the mast to work on the top antenna?
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Bob  KG7KW