[TowerTalk] Question for Hazer owners

[W5CPT]

I also have been considering a Hazer. The GM literature offers a wheel kit for the Rohn 25 Hazer. They are not spring loaded but I think that it would be a good investment as I also have heard stories about stuck Hazers. The investment for me would be $ while yours will be time, $ and materials.

Clint - W5CPT
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Rick Karlquist 
  To: Randall Mullinax 
  Cc: towertalk at contesting.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2007 3:57 PM
  Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Question for Hazer owners


  You have hit on the biggest bugaboo of the Hazer, namely clearances
  vis a vis any tower imperfections.  I have a GM1850 tower with GM
  Hazer, and it definitely have problems with getting stuck.  The
  original design of the Hazer is fairly loose and allows it to
  rattle around.  With that configuation, if it does get stuck, I
  can just wiggle a guy wire to shake it loose.  I bought a kit
  from GM to convert to an "improved" configuration using plastic
  blocks with V grooves that fit the corners of the tower (the
  tower legs are angles, not pipes).   This was a disaster, and
  was hopeless in terms of getting stuck.  I will admit that if you
  sight along the tower you can detect a very slight warp or twist
  in it.  IMHO, this is no excuse.  The Hazer needs to be able to
  deal with a less than perfect tower.  (I bought this tower used,
  so for all I know, the owner sold it because he was having
  trouble with it getting stuck).

  Of course, just making the Hazer loose isn't desirable because
  then it rattles around in the wind.  However, this rattling hasn't
  been a problem in 4 years.  Just realize that you don't want to
  make it looser than necessary.

  What I suggest you do in terms of a homebrew Hazer is to make two
  improvements that GM should have done:  use rollers instead of sliders
  and spring load them with stiff springs.  One other thing I don't
  like about the Hazer is that you are standing at the bottom of
  the tower cranking the winch.  The GM winch doesn't have positive
  braking and in any event, if something goes wrong, you are a sitting
  duck underneath the antenna.  I do wear a hard hat, which is some
  protection.  If I was homebrewing, I would go with a motorized winch and
  be done with it.

  Someone will no doubt post that their GM tower/Hazer works perfectly,
  etc.  I am happy for any satisfied owners, but I stand by my
  less than desirable experience.

  Rick N6RK



  Randall Mullinax wrote:
  > I've heard all the negatives about the Hazer but I'm getting old and don't
  > want to climb anymore.  I've got an existing 12' face, solid leg, free
  > standing  broadcast tower.  The tower doesn't have leg flanges so a hazer
  > type tram would word but I'll have to home brew one since the tower legs
  > are larger than a 25G.
  >
  > My question of Hazer owners is.....what is the clearance between the Hazer
  > and the tower leg.  It must be a pretty close since I've heard of Hazers
  > getting stuck due to slightly bowed 25G's.  Put another way....what is the
  > distance between the Hazer frame the tower leg.
  >
  > Thanks for any information you can provide.
  >
  > 73
  > Randy
  > AD5RM
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