[TowerTalk] How to apply lube to HDX589

[Ian White]

Sorry, Rick, photographs of the Versatower lock plate on the web seem
hard to find. There are verbal descriptions on GM3WOJ's information
pages, <http://www.qsl.net/gm3woj/latticetower.htm>.  Scroll down to
Section 11.

But those descriptions are all about the single locking plate at the top
of the first (non-moving) section, taking the weight of the second
section and everything above it and thus removing tension from the
winching cable. The possibility of also locking the higher sections of a
Versatower is completely new to me, so I wonder how that can be done
from ground level. 


73 from Ian GM3SEK


>-----Original Message-----
>From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of
>Richard (Rick) Karlquist
>Sent: 15 June 2013 18:30
>To: Bert Almemo
>Cc: towertalk at contesting.com; 'Jim Lux'
>Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] How to apply lube to HDX589
>
>Speculating:
>
>So they supply locking devices, and some clown climbs the tower relying
on
>the locking devices, only they fail and the climber and gets hurt and
sues the
>tower mfr?
>Maybe they don't even fail and he hurts himself due to his own fault
and
>sues anyway?  Or they get stuck in the locked position (such that the
tower
>cannot be cranked
>down) and someone has to climb the tower to unlock them and gets hurt?
>
>Legacy guyed crank up towers used to have locks that activated when you
>pulled the guys out (pretty clever).
>Of course you don't have that mechanism on a crank up, so how do the
ones
>from Europe work anyway?
>
>Rick N6RK
>
>On 6/15/2013 10:18 AM, Bert Almemo wrote:
>> A locking device would cost about $ 20.00 a section. I don't think
>> that would turn off a potential buyer. If they can do it in Europe,
>> why not on this side of the pond?? The market for crank-ups is
probably
>bigger here.
>>
>> 73 Bert, VE3NR
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf
>Of
>> Jim Lux
>> Sent: Saturday, June 15, 2013 12:17 PM
>> To: towertalk at contesting.com
>> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] How to apply lube to HDX589
>>
>> On 6/15/13 9:12 AM, Bert Almemo wrote:
>>> If you used a locking device on each section cables wouldn't be such
>>> a big issue and would last a lot longer. Many european crank-up
tower
>>> manufacturers use locking devices on their towers. Versatower in one
>>> of them.
>>>
>>> How come US mfgrs don't use the same devices? Has anyone asked the
>US
>>> mfgrs why they don't use section locks? Maybe someone can pick up on
>>> the idea and make aftermarket locks? There is definitely room for
>> improvement!!
>>>
>>> Locking each section would dramatically increase safety and you
>>> wouldn't have to read about towers coming down killing people and
>>> damaging
>> equipment.
>>> OMHO!
>>>
>>>
>> The amateur tower market is small and very price sensitive, in
general.
>> Think about it: rather than put a motor that costs a few hundred
bucks
>> on the thing, they install a hand crank.
>>
>> Towers made for other uses DO have locks.
>>
>> _______________________________________________