[TowerTalk] How to apply lube to HDX589

[K7LXC at aol.com]

>  I am missing something here as US Tower advises against  lubricating 
cables.
 
    The LXC Prime Directive still applies - to  "DO what the manufacturer 
says". In this case, UST is NOT the manufacturer of  the wire rope. Actual 
wire rope manufacturers do indeed recommend lubricating  the cables. In this 
case the tower manufacturer is wrong. Remember that tower  companies are 
insurance driven enterprises and they are reluctant to give you  much in the way 
of info due to liability risk exposure. In this case IMO their  advice is 
more designed to keep you from climbing around on their tower than  actual PM 
advice. 
 
>  What are you gaining by lubricating cable? 
 
    The strands rub against each other when the  cable is moving. That's 
why you want to LUBRICATE them. Many crank-ups groan and  make noise as 
they're raised. After lubricating them, everything is very  quiet.   Commercial 
applications are used hundreds if not thousands of  times more than your 
typical ham crank-up so neglecting to lube the  crank-up cables isn't a fatal 
problem.
 
>  I my opinion if a un-lubricated galvanized cable shows  signs of rust, 
it is time to replace it.
 
    See other recent post related to cable  replacement. 
 
Cheers,
Steve     K7LXC
TOWER TECH -
Professional tower services for hams
Author of UP THE TOWER - The Complete Guide To Tower Construction