[TowerTalk] TX-455 and Ice

[Steve Walters]

Hi Guys!

I'm a new TX-455 tower owner, it's sitting on the footing waiting for the 28 day concrete cure to be finished.

Just recently, U S Tower updated their website and in the Ham products section have placed a note saying that their towers (including the ever popular TX-455) are not rated for ice and that these towers must be fully retracted during ice storms.

I realize that the weight of the tower greatly increases with a thick coating of ice so the cable holding it up a seeing a far far greater load than normal. When I bought the tower, I had assumed this was engineered into the design but now it seems not. Here in the Poconos of PA, we have lots of nasty ice storms so this means I am perpetually going to put this tower up and down. I guess I can do this but it wasn't in my plans and I am going to want to motorize this puppy in some fashion if I have to do it often.

So (finally) my question: Are there any instances of TX-455 failure due to ice loading? Any other comments on this issue are most welcome.

73 and good DX!

Steve...

K4IKM at ptd.net