[TowerTalk] Failed HDX572 Raising fixture Leg and base

[Robert Harmon]

Rich,

In my opinion it separated because the weld did not have full penetration.  Not enough amperage when the weld was made.
One of the first welds learned in welding class is a fillet weld where a piece of steel plate is welded to another at right angle.
After running a fillet weld on one side, it is clamped in a vice and hit with a hammer on the side opposite the fillet.  If it breaks off
you did not have the amperage high enough for good penetration.  The pictures show this to me.  If welded correctly with full penetration
the joint is stronger than the metal and we would see tearing of the metal, and in this case no rust where it tore off.  

Bob
K6UJ


> On Aug 9, 2015, at 12:19 PM, Rich Hallman - N7TR <rich at n7tr.com> wrote:
> 
> This morning I was lowering my HDX572 and as it was almost down one of the base ears that the raising fixture leg mounts to failed.   Fortunately it was a slow drop and the tower is still ok.  If it failed while it was higher this could have been a different story.
> 
> I will need a new raising fixture and a new HDX572 base.   I have a like new spare TRX-80HD raising fixture for my HDX589 so I should be ok there.
> 
> I posted some pics and will add more later today.  From the looks of the break, I am seeing rust (Not clean metal) where the welds were.  Also I'm not sure if the ear on the one leg that mounts to the raising fixture began to bend first or not.   But it is bent a hard 90 degrees now as you can see.
> 
> Anyone else see something like this in the past?   This is an older US Tower so I'm not sure if the bases are built better now or not for the mounting ear.
> 
> Go to my QRZ Page http://www.qrz.com/db/N7TR  And look for the link called HDX572 Raising Fixture Failure.
> 
> Rich N7TR
> ex KI3V, N3AMK, WB3JOV
> www.n7tr.com<http://www.n7tr.com>
> http://www.qrz.com/db/N7TR
> Telnet: dxc.n7tr.com N7TR DXCluster
> 
> 
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