[TowerTalk] Tower wench failure - Use a Warn Winch

[Gary Schafer]

Hi Bob,

I am interested in your home made raising fixture for the LM-470. Any info
you can give about it?

Thanks
Gary  K4FMX

> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:towertalk-
> bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Bob Smith
> Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2007 9:02 PM
> To: towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Tower wench failure - Use a Warn Winch
> 
> I've got to second Dwight's mention about using an electric winch to Tilt
> the LM-470 from horizontal to vertical and back again.  I also use a
> WARN electric (12v) winch to raise my 28' mast at the top of the tower
> with the antennas mounted (3 monobanders) to full extension before
> mounting the rotor.  A Warn model 6000 winch has a single lead pulling
> and lowering capacity of 6000 lbs.  if you use a pulley to double the
> capacity you have 12k lbs.  The LM470 weighs 1144 lbs plus the weight
> of the motorized winch for raising on the LM470D witch adds about 200
> lbs to the total weight of the tower.
> 
> I bought a used Warn 6000 winch from a local 4x4 supply store for $200.00,
>   mounted it on a stationary stand near the tower , ran battery cables
>   to a 12v battery (and for safety I had my vehicle close at hand with
> jumper cables to supplement the DC voltage) connected up the remote
> control and raised and lowered my LM470D without any problems.
> I know they say "don't use it as a hoist", but it sure works, the gear
> ratio
> is about 150:1 for this winch and most 'HOISTS" are 260:1.  The difference
> between the Hoist and a winch is usually the winch has a clutch that
> will enable you to free-spool the line out, but the hoist doesn't have
> this
> feature for SAFETY.   But , on the other hand I was in the Automobile
> business (new car dealer - Chrysler) for 37 years and sold lots of 4x4's
> and installed lots of winches.  I've never seen a clutch assy burn up or
> fail, but I've seen lots of steel cables brake .  The Warn 6000 winch has
> 5/16" cable and when raising and lowering my LM470D the winch doesn't
> even sound like it's got a load on it, it just goes up and down, where
> when i've been in the woods winching a vehicle the winch does let you know
> that your overloaded by slowing down or stopping.
> 
> To each his own, My M6000 has done a great job of raising and lowering
> my tower, (remember it's only 25' in a collapsed position and my
> raising fixture
> (home built) is 12' high at the pulley.  So when I'm raising and lowering
> the
> tower i'm pulling at the same height as the center of the tower. It works
> great.
> 
> my $.02  73
> 
> Bob Smith
> NA6T
> Fort Bragg, California
> 
> 
> Message: 8
> Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2007 15:36:24 -0500
> From: "C Dwight Baker" <cdwightbaker at bellsouth.net>
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Tower wench failure
> To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
> Message-ID: <01ff01c768d3$f5b90500$e12b0f00$@net>
> Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="US-ASCII"
> 
> Fellows, get a wench used on the front of a truck or ATV.  I use one and
> it
> is great.  Positive stop anywhere.  Cheap too.  You can get them in AC or
> battery powered.  Your friendly Home Depot may carry them.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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