[TowerTalk] Using US Tower HDX-572MDPL Raising Fixture

[Al Williams]

Yes, it is normal.  The tower's center of gravity must lie outward from the 
tower to beyond the hinge bolts for the gravity to exert force to tilt the 
tower over without external force.  I use an automobile floor jack under the 
tower (away from the hinge legs) to apply the force to begin its tilting.

You may have been lucky.  It is quite possible for the tilting winch clutch 
to be in a free wheeling mode and not apply the braking that holds the winch 
from winding out the cable.  That happened to me but I managed to grab the 
handle before it got too much momentum.  It is very important to test that 
the clutch is engaged before tilting the tower over (or else you will have 
to keep control of the handle until the tower is all the way tilted).  It 
might be possible to "snap the clutch mechanism to engage" by temporarily 
cranking the tower tilt back up a little.  I didn't think of that and so I 
tilted the tower all the way down by holding on to the handle.

After that episode, I always tie a "safety" cable or rope between the tower 
and the tilting fixture to stop the tower from tilting once it gets beyond 
the center of gravity a bit.  If the clutch is holding the tower, I then 
untie the safety rope.

k7puc

Ps  The center of gravity will also cause the tower to "fall into place" 
once the center of gravity passes inward from the hinge bolts when you are 
bringing the tower back to vertical.  You should be careful that your hands 
and everything else is in the clear.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dr M J DiGirolamo" <DrD at 2020.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] Using US Tower HDX-572MDPL Raising Fixture
> Some 10 days ago I used a crane to set my US Tower HDX-572MDPL to its
> base.
>
> After removing all but the two hinging bolts, the tower did not want to
> tilt on its own.  Tower was without a mast or antennas on it.  I ended up 
> using
> both a crow and lever bar to encourage it to tilt over.  I'd estimate it 
> was as
> much as 10 degrees off normal before there was enough lateral force 
> component
> for the tower to lower on its own as I let the cable out.
>
> Questions:  Is this normal?  Are there those with experience who would
> share how they deal with this situation?