[TowerTalk] Windlass suggestions needed

[Tom Rauch]

I always like the way a local tower installer's 120VAC
capstan winch worked, but always thought it was death or
serious injury waiting to happen because he bolted it right
to the tower below the work being done.

My plan is to weld up a plate to a steel tube that fits my
trailer hitch and pull the rope from the truck using a 12V
marine style anchor, docking, or fishing rope winch. Any
suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

1.) I plan on mounting it to my truck hitch. My truck is
big, and the hitch is good. I'll overkill the plate and
mounting.

2.) I intend to fabricate a dual rope-guide out of de-burred
and polished pipe welded to the mounting plate to prevent
the rope from slipping off the capstan.

3.) It will have a safety type footswitch

4.) I sized  the winch so it will lift at about 85ft/min
maximum and will stall at just over 500 pounds. My thinking
was the stall capacity of the winch needs to be the weakest
link so I can't break anything, including the rope.

5.) I plan on welding a large clevis to the mounting plate
so the rope can be held in place if needed, without ever
removing it from the capstan.

This way any workers won't under the tower, the rope won't
slip off, and it won't be a shock hazard (12 volt).

Anyone ever do this? Anyone see a problem?

73 Tom