[TowerTalk] Can motorized crank up's be manually

[Jim Thomson]

From: K7LXC at aol.com 
Sent: Monday, April 12, 2010 5:56 AM
To: towertalk at contesting.com ; Jim.thom at telus.net 
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Can motorized crank up's be manually


In a message dated 4/3/2010 6:34:43 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, towertalk-request at contesting.com writes:
  >  We  just went through a big wind storm all last night [ thursday night/fri morning].   The  commercial  AC power flickered and dimmed
  a few times.  It eventually died  for 2 hrs. 

  >  Ok,  what happens  with the  HDX-689... when it's fully extended, and els all broadside to the wind.. and power goes off ?? 

  >  Can these things  be  brought down manually .. safely.... by another method ??   [ hand winch, cordless drill, etc]

      I don't think anyone mentioned taking the guard off of the motor V-belt and then removing the belt. Then you can turn the transmission pulley by hand. It's a slow laborious process but coming down is relatively easy - gravity is your friend. Raising it is much harder manually. 

  Cheers,
  Steve     K7LXC
  TOWER TECH

  ##  US Tower corp informs me that, 
  "Sorry my shop manager just got back to me what we can do. You can purchase a crank handle assembly.

   Crank handle will turn the pulley on the input shaft attached to the gear box, the UST part number is 15003-0015-0000." 

  ##  Both the tower, and the crank handle, and the CM-20 chromolly mast will be here in 2 x weeks.  We  shall see if  

  the optional crank handle actually works.  This might be the ticket, VS trying to start a gen set at 3-AM in winter, or UPS

   power.  I'm not interested in raising during a pwr outage, just lowering.  I  THINK the gearbox shaft comes out the

  opposite end of the gearbox.. where the crank handle  could be attached.  If so, the guard cover, and V-belt  would

  not have to be removed at all.  A  cordless  drill  with  correct fitting might also work.  I will  report back with my

  findings. 

  later... Jim  VE7RF