[TowerTalk] Question about lowering a Fold-Over tower

[Richard (Rick) Karlquist]

On 2/2/2012 7:48 AM, Wilson Lamb wrote:
>

> Worse yet, if you get the least lateral displacement you will get the cable
> off to the side of the hinge/tower plane and you will then have the top of
> the tower trying to go sideways because of the cable pull being off axis!
> You can tear your hinge apart and wreck your beam in a heartbeat>

In my early days of experimenting with irrigation pipe verticals I 
encountered this problem, but it just wrecked some old tubing.
Glad I didn't learn this on a tower.  You really want to side guy
the tower if possible.


> The falling derick advice is right on, BUT you have to be sure the base of
> the derick is wide enough to provide the lateral stability you need to
> prevent the off center situation above.  AND you have to secure the cable to

I prefer to side guy the falling derrick.  Again, I experienced early
on the consequences of not doing this.

I always mount a pulley at the top of the derrick and run the rope 
through it to a ground anchor located where the pulley hits the ground. 
  This gives me positive pull down when the tower is near vertical, and 
controlled descent.  If you just tie a rope to the
top of the derrick, you have no leverage when the tower is near
vertical.

Rick N6RK