[TowerTalk] Thoughts on Tower lifting cable broken strands

[TexasRF at aol.com]

Cable replacement will never be any more convenient than right now. New  
cables and sheave maintenance should set up long term tower use with little  
attention.
 
73,
Gerald K5GW
 
 
 
 
 
 
In a message dated 8/22/2013 9:24:04 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
glhuber at msn.com writes:

Sell for  scrap or replace the cable (with same or better cable and 
component  
ratings).  Just look at the worse case scenario if the cable breaks;  loss 
and liability,  if the cost of replacing the cable is LESS than  the 
expense 
of any catastrophic loss and liability, replacing the cable is  the way to 
go. If you feel the cable replacement cost is too great, cut  the cable and 
remove it to prevent further use and sell the  tower.

73 ES DX,
Gary -- AB9M

> I'm in a  dilemma.
>
> I purchase a used TM-490 90 ft Sky Needle and  recently found some of the
> 5/16", 7 X 19 aircraft cable lifting cable  strands broken. The tower is 
on
> the ground and not been in the  vertical position for a number of years. 
> The
> problem,  apparently there was some gas torch cutting done nearby and
> splatter  landed on the cable. This molten metal landed on the pull up 
>  cable
> causing it to burn and sever 2 - 3 strands in one area, and  another 3 - 4
> strands 6 inches higher up the cable. The cable overall  is otherwise in
> very good condx with no wear marks. It might have been  replaced prior and
> the tower has been laying on the ground ever  since?
>
> The best and right thing to do is to replace the cable.  But, I have been
> going through my options:
>
> #1 - Do the  cable replacing myself. I have found the cable and cable
> pulling grip  for less that $200. The major problem is that this is a 3200
> lbs  tabular tower and not easy to move around. I would need to rent small
>  boom truck or forklift and some other misc working hardware to pull  the
> sections apart. It would not be easy, but feel I could do the  job.
>
> #2 - Hire someone to come here and do the job. This can  run into a 4 - 5
> thousand dollar cost.
>
> #3 - Transport  the tower to California and have it restring by the tower
> company who  made it long ago. I've checked commercial transport rates, 
r/t
>  shipment and cable replacement cost is more than option #2.
>
> #4  - Do nothing and live with a few broken strands.
>
> *At this  point I am looking for thoughts, experiences and/or
> semi-professional  thoughts on option #4 - do nothing*. I've had a one
> experienced tower  person say that 6 - 8 broken strands out of 133 is
>  nothing.
>
> Again, I know the proper/safe thing to do is replace  the cable, but how
> about doing nothing and using the tower as  is?
>
> Tnx,
>
> Ray,
> N6VR
>  
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