[TowerTalk] FW: Crank Up towers

Sat Sep 1 21:05:27 EDT 2007

If you use a hinged mast plate you can reach all parts of the antenna and your feet never have to
leave the ground. I have a 75 ft crank up tilt over and a 4 el SteppIR. Its been up for 4 years and
I take it down at least once a year to inspect the cables (tower and antenna ). 

Larry K1ZW

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Dan
Hearn
Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2007 7:48 PM
To: T talk
Subject: [TowerTalk] FW: Crank Up towers

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Hearn [mailto:dhearn at air-pipe.com]
Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2007 4:41 PM
To: JAMES HEADRICK
Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] Crank Up towers

Hi Jim. Tilting the tower over with the antenna on it does not give you access to all parts of the
antenna. I have seen guys use a step ladder to work on the tilted antenna and I think that is
dangerous. It is much easier and faster to just lower the antenna vertically rather than unbolting
the base and cranking the tower over. If the antenna is a large one this is particularly true.
73, Dan, N5AR  Incidentally I spent most of my career as an EE working for several oil companies,
Century Geophysical, and retired from ARCOs research lab in Plano TX. I moved to Wa to be near my
kids who live up here.

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com]On Behalf Of JAMES HEADRICK
Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2007 12:07 PM
To: Dan Hearn; T talk
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Crank Up towers

Dan,

Read your email and article on your club page with interest since I am going to install a US Tower
TX-455 with a 3el Yagi Steppir on a 15 ft mast;  this means the mast will stick up more than 10 ft
above the tower section.  My plan was to install the rotor and mast with the tower horizontal and
the Yagi with it almost horizontal and then crank it vertical.  This is the way I have done things
in the past with smaller towers and antennas, and there were some awkward moments.

Please give a little more detail on "I have found that tilting the tower over to work on antennas is
not a good idea".  I certainly appreciate your contribution to TT and probably need more guidance -
especially from a W5.
I used to be W5CPB and worked for Petty Geo. Eng.

73,  Jim w3cp

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan Hearn" <dhearn at air-pipe.com>
To: "T talk" <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2007 2:32 AM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Crank Up towers

>  I have noticed recently that a number of hams seem to have a fear of 
> dealing with crank up towers. I have used a TX472 for more than 10 
> years located first near Dallas and now near Spokane. It is not 
> difficult to install the tower and antennas. I recently posted to our 
> clubs web page information on how to replace cables and pulleys safely on it.
> www.sdxa.org
> .  Click on DX tips on the right hand side.The system described is 
> also applicable to installing antennas. You just step from the ladder 
> onto the top of the nested tower. The antenna can be lifted vertically 
> by a rope and pulley straddling the tower and ladder. If you were 
> smart enough to put a pulley on the top of the mast with a rope 
> through it, lifting the antenna into place is easy. If you forgot to 
> put the pulley on the top of the mast all is not lost. Just rig the 
> pulley with a hook on it and attach it to a piece of aluminum tubing 
> to lift it up and hook the top of the mast. You can either leave the 
> pulley in place after you finish or lift it off and lower it to the 
> ground. If you tape the pulley to the tubing, you can pull the tube 
> loose and leave the pulley in place.
>  I have found that tilting the tower over to work on antennas is not a 
> good idea. It is easier to lower the antenna vertically to the ground. 
> I once lowered a 4 el yagi to the ground, changed element tip lengths 
> and put it back up in less than an hour.
>  My other crank up is a 131 ft UST unit with a 6 el Yagi on a 57 ft boom.
> I
> use the same technique to lower and raise it except that the pulley 
> rope is a length of small steel cable as used on garage door openers. 
> It is spooled on a small hand powered winch bolted to the base of the 
> tower. The crank handle was removed and a variable speed electric 
> drill is attached to the shaft. The tower is nested and a helper on 
> the ladder guides the antenna as it is raised or lowered.
>  Crank up towers are not cheap but 2 have been sold at very reasonable 
> prices here as part of SK ham estates. In each case the tower had to 
> be taken down by the buyer.
>
> 73, Dan, N5AR
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
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>
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