[TowerTalk] Why preload guy lines?

[Tom Rauch]

>      When any wire or cable is tightened, it becomes more
rod-like. At
> that point it doesn't really make any difference what the
material is -
> it still exhibits the same property - and deflection,
which is what
> you're measuring. If cables are the same size, they'll
read the same.
> I've even measured Phillystran with one (it'll only
measure the
> HPTG4000 - it's the only one that'll fit into the mouth of
the gauge).
>
>      You'll nootice that the Loos is about a foot long.
It's just
> measuring the deflection in whatever it's attached to. I
think there
> are just some simple physics involved to measure the
tension.  The Loos
> gauge was designed for sailboat rigging but measuring
other cables is
> no problem.



I've been thinking about this and I don't see how any
tension gauge that  requires scale compensation for wire
diameter could be immune to effects of wire stiffness.

When I look at it, it appears to me the Loos tenisoon gauge
actually measures bending of a tiny area of wire between the
two nubs at one end with the long area just serving as a
"reference point" for the bending between the two fixed nubs
that are at one end.

Or do I have that wrong?

73 Tom