[TowerTalk] Am I asking for trouble? - tower loading

[Dan Hearn]

Crank up towers using manual winches do not like to lower when strong winds
are blowing. The weight of the sections is not great enough to overcome the
binding forces between sections. Most if not all motor driven winch towers
use power pull down cables to help retract them. It is a very scary thing
when you are lowering your crank up and the wind force causes one or more
sections to stick. The cable goes slack until the wind lets up then down the
sections come with a thump. Mighty hard on the cables.
73. Dan, N5AR

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com]On Behalf Of jknodel M Knodel
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2006 10:58 AM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] Am I asking for trouble? - tower loading


I would like to get everyone's opinion on this -

I am planning on installing a US Towers crankup tower. These towers are
rated for windloads at 50mph and 70mph. I want to stack 2 beams on the
tower. These 2 antennas would exceed the tower's windload rating at 70mph
but would be well within the rating for 50mph. I plan to install a wind
speed meter and deligently crank down the tower every time the wind exceeds
50mph.

I cannot install a guyed tower at this location so this is my only option.
The crankup with these antennas and cranking it down in winds over 50mph is
my plan. Am I asking for trouble in doing this?? Thanks.


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