[TowerTalk] [Tower Talk] A tub to receive my coax

[Alan NV8A]

On 12/31/12 01:16 am, Larry Loen wrote:
> As many of you may remember, I have this (still) extended adventure going
> to put up my tower (a US Tower HDX 572MD).  The tower is actually standing
> up, but, given I can only work on it during weekends, the "finish" work is
> taking forever.
>
> One of the next steps, though, is to design something that sits at the
> "base" to receive the coax as it coils up.
>
> The design of the tower that I have (unlike the former one at W0IBM that I
> generally take as my model) has its "stand off" arms all in alignment.  We
> discussed whether I should let the coax fall all the way "in line" or try
> to affix it to each arm.
>
> US Towers said that hams did both, but I really don't see an easy way to
> prevent the coax from "snagging" on the lower arms after lowering it.  So,
> the "fall through" approach seems prefered.
>
> However, with the tilt over fixture in-place (or even if it is not), I seem
> to require some sort of "tub" to receive the coax when I lower the tower or
> partially lower it.
>
> The most obvious choice is a circular tub, mounted on metal or perhaps 4x4
> inch wooden legs (maybe even with plywood reinforcement under the tub's
> bottom.
>
> I see an ad here:
>
> http://tsc.tractorsupply.com/tractor/Plastic-Tubs?reqUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ftsc.tractorsupply.com%2Ftractor%2FPlastic-Tubs&storeId=10551&zoneMarketInfo=2-45&storeZip=85138&storeCity=city%2C+state&catalogId=10001&langId=-1
>
> . . .showing an open, 25 gallon tub with a 14 inch diameter suitable for
> watering horses.  Is this the sort of thing I should be looking at?  Do I
> need smething bigger?  I expect to have two or three coaxes (9913F type)
> plus some control cable (at least six eighteen gauge and two fourteen
> gauge) going up the tower with the coax.  I assume I tape the control lines
> to a coax and maybe the coaxes together.
>
> I also seem to want to put in some sort of gadget at the top so that I can
> provide some sort of "rounded 'L' material at the very top to provide some
> strain relief for the coax which otherwise would bear the weight of a 72
> foot drop at one point.  That seems a problem, especially in the 120 degree
> Arizona sun.
>
> I'm not totally thrilled with this, but I don't see a good alternative
> design because I don't see how to avoid the snagging issue.  I'd rather
> attach everything to each extended arm, but haven't figured out how to make
> it really work reliably when the tower is anywhere near fully collapsed.

I use a large RubberMaid trash bin (from Sam's Club) -- "Brute" is the 
name that comes to mind -- with a slot cut in the lid, through which I 
guide the coax as the tower comes down; I realized later that I could 
have got a lid with a central round hole, which *might* have been better.

73

Alan NV8A