[TowerTalk] HDX-89 rotator replacement - w/o tilting the tower over?

[K7LXC at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/31/2010 6:55:18 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
towertalk-request at contesting.com writes:

>  What are you standing on when you perform this  process?  Are you on a
ladder, a man lift, or standing on the tower  sections? 


    I'm standing on the tower. 

>  I  have never found that 2x4s or steel pipes truly block a crank up  
tower.
Sure you can jam 2x4s through the tower sections, and/or pipe  section
through the telescoping sections, but it is clear that if the lift  cable
sheared, the tower sections would drop significant amounts (enough to  shear
off toes or fingers) before the blocks kick in. 


What I do is to put the pipe or wood as close as  I can to the bottom of 
each section and then lower the tower until the  sections are either resting 
on or very close (within a couple of inches) to  the wood or pipe. Even if 
there's a catastrophic cable failure, the section is  either not going to move 
or only move a couple of inches - hardly enough  compression or movement to 
break anything. That way there is minimal risk.  Another thing you can use 
is leg sized U-bolts bolted right under the  section bottoms. 

Of course climbing a crank-up - or any tower  for that matter - is 
potentially hazardous. The crank-up accidents that I've  heard of were fortunately 
not fatal and happened on older towers without  positive pull-down; a section 
would hang up when being lowered and it came  unstuck and headed south when 
it was being climbed. If in doubt, double up on  the wood or pipe or 
whatever you use to increase your confidence and safety  factor. 
 
Cheers & Happy New Year to all!
Steve    K7LXC
TOWER TECH
and
_www.championradio.com_ (http://www.championradio.com)