[TowerTalk] Gluing rope

[donovanf at starpower.net]

Hi Pete,

Oops...   You forgot to mention that you're changing from 5/16 inch diameter to 1/4 inch diameter rope.  

Forget about splicing the ropes, you should purchase new pulleys that are properly sized for your new 1/4 inch rope and replace them too.  Otherwise your new rope will wear out prematurely from being flattened out by a shieve that is too wide to properly support the circumference of the rope.

73
Frank
W3LPL

---- Original message ----
>Date: Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:00:18 -0400
>From: Pete Smith <n4zr at contesting.com>  
>Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Gluing rope  
>To: donovanf at starpower.net
>
>   You're right, Frank.  The current rope is 3/8" braided
>   polyester; the new is 1/4" braided polyester, slightly
>   different construction (the current rope has a cotton core). 
>   I am going to explore the possibility of fitting the new rope
>   inside the old by removing its cotton core, and then stitching
>   together to hold them on place.
>
>   The sheaves are adequately large in diameter; I was referring
>   to the width of the sheaves and the clearance with the pulley
>   frame, more than the diameter.
>
> 73, Pete N4ZR
> New Articles Daily - the Contesting Compendium at http://wiki.contesting.com
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> The Reverse Beacon Network at http://reversebeacon.net 
>
>   On 9/19/2009 8:52 AM, donovanf at starpower.net wrote:
>
> Hi Pete,
>
> You didn't mention the type of rope currently on your tower or the type of rope you will replace it with.
>
> I've replaced three strand twisted rope dozens of times.  On one end of the old rope and on one end of the new rope, cut one strand back four inches and cut the other strand back eight inches.  Then overlap the two ropes so the cut strands butt each other.  Tape the butted ropes tightly and you will be able to pull the splice through the pulley easily.
>
> You mentioned "small pulleys."  To avoid premature rope failure, the sheave diameter should be at least eight times the diameter of the rope.
>
> 73!
> Frank
> W3LPL
>
> ---- Original message ----
>  
>
> Date: Sat, 19 Sep 2009 07:17:49 -0400
> From: Pete Smith <n4zr at contesting.com> 
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Gluing rope 
> To: TowerTalk <towertalk at contesting.com>
>
> I want to replace the up-haul ropes that support my 80M array.  To do
> that, I need to find a way to thread the new rope through small pulleys
> at the 95-foot level on my tower.  If possible, I'd like to do it
> without climbing all the way up there.  I could simply tie the new rope
> to the old one, but I'm concerned that any knot might be too big to make
> it through the pulley.
>
> I've been thinking about mixing up a little two part epoxy and literally
> gluing the new rope to the old, end-to-end.  Has anyone out there done
> that, and if so, how did it work?  If you have a better way, please let
> me know.
>
> --
> 73, Pete N4ZR
> New Articles Daily - the Contesting Compendium at http://wiki.contesting.com
> The World Contest Station Database, updated daily at www.conteststations.com
> The Reverse Beacon Network at http://reversebeacon.net
>
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