[TowerTalk] Guyed "Crank-Up"/"Self-Supporting" Towers

[Jerry K]

That was nearly 40 years ago, and I don't remember much about the 
cabling. I do remember it had what looked to be a simple galvanized boat 
winch. I didn't use the optional "GAYE" system. I used one set of 
galvanized steel clothesline wire guys, probably 10 gauge. I didn't 
climb it, either. It was erected close beside the edge of the 
low-pitched roof of my single story house, and I simply lowered the 
tower, climbed a ladder onto the roof, and walked over to the then 
shoulder-high TA-33. Driving it was a whopping 400W PEP from my first 
transceiver, a trusty Swan 350. Back then, working Hawaii from the East 
Coast was big deal, so as KH6GQC at the time, I was legitimate DX for 
East Coast WAS hunters. It made for a lot of fun. I also occasionally 
worked traffic skeds with Tom Christian (Fletcher Christian's 
descendant) on Pitcairn Island, and talked regularly with Father Moran, 
9N1MM in Nepal, so it was a pretty decent DX setup, however minimal it 
would be in today's terms.

The tower was dirt simple and worked fine, kind of like the 2-1/2 ton 
'51 Merc that was my first car in high school. I'll bet somebody out 
there is still using both of them.

Note the specs say ALL cables are 1/8" regardless of tower height, which 
might give some people pause today for an 88' crankup! :)
Jerry W5KP

Rick Karlquist wrote:
> Mark Robinson wrote:
>   
>> I am able to read all the pages with no problems. So the concept is called
>> GAYE. Guy as You Erect. Quite ingenious with locking sections.
>>
>>
>> Mark N1UK
>>     
>
> How does the cabling work on this kind of tower?
>
> Rick N6RK
>
>
>