[TowerTalk] Guy Wire Cable Clamps

[Don W7WLL]

Since all of my towers have been unsupported crankups, I've never had the 
pleasure of dealing with guys.

When I first moved here, not understanding how bad the salt air environment 
would be on anything not SS, I used small "galvanized" crosby type clamps 
for securing the wire ends of the boom stays (I did use SS cable). Also used 
standard galvanized  thimbles and turnbuckles. That was a joke, they were so 
badly rusted after a few years of salt spray that I had to replace both 
entire stays after the nuts rusted off the U clamps and one side literally 
came apart.

For the stay small cable size the rigger up the coast at the fleet rigging 
shop suggested using Nicopress ovals and even lent me their Nicopress 
swagger. Quick, easy and very secure. Of course replaced the rest of the 
parts with SS too.

I can only imagine the difficulty working with larger wire cable on a tower 
project. Hats off to you all. I've also come to recognize that there is 
significant differences in galvanizing.

Don W7WLL

-----Original Message----- 
From: Jim Lux
Sent: Monday, June 08, 2015 10:42 AM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Guy Wire Cable Clamps

On 6/8/15 10:23 AM, TexasRF--- via TowerTalk wrote:
> Hi Roger, serving guy wires is definitely an acquired skill! Reminds me of
> braiding a live horse's tail; few people would actually do it.
>
> 73,
> Gerald K5GW
>

Having done both:
Serving is mechanically larger forces required (at least for big
cables), but tail braiding is a lot longer process with a lot more
complexity.  And, of course, you don't want to get kicked.

Of course, if you're needing to braid your horse's tail for a show,
there's also a ready source of people who you can *pay* to do the
braiding.  This is less likely standing in your yard with some
multistrand steel cable wanting to go somewhere you dont want it to go.

You'll also not wind up getting puncture wounds from the horse's tail.

Cable grips are definitely the way to go.  If I wasn't using cable
grips, I'd use crimp on sleeves instead.  Once you have invested in the
crimp tool, a box full of appropriate sleeves and your steel cable
termination process gets simple.
  Crosby clamps (never saddle a dead horse, bail to the tail) are
tedious, etc.; and I always wonder if the nut will come loose.





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