[TowerTalk] turnbuckle safety wires

[Jim Thomson]

Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2017 20:48:44 -0400
From: Steve Maki <lists at oakcom.org>
To: towertalk <towertalk at contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] turnbuckle safety wires

<The typical turnbuckle safety wire is designed to prevent inadvertent 
<unscrewing of the turnbuckle, either from vibration or random vandalism. 
<It's not to support the tower in the event of a turnbuckle failure. That 
<would at least require more than one in-line cable clamp.

<Note: I've NEVER seen a turnbuckle prone to unscrewing itself, but don't 
<consider that a reason to not use them.

<The turnbuckle shouldn't be the weak link in the system anyway. It 
<should be oversized and of good quality to insure that the threads 
<remain in good operating condition.

<-Steve K8LX

##  back in the mid 70s  I had a guyed free standing  tower... and all 3 guy terminations were well elevated.
One of them was aprx 12’ above the ground.   One day I find the turnbuckle on the ground, wtf ?   Now this
is a case where I had added sections to the tower + a mast, and 3 x yagis,  hence the 3 x guy wires for some
more support.   Re-installed the turnbuckle, correct tension etc.    Damned thing did it again about 4 months later.
Then a 3rd time.  After that, in went my version  of a safety wire.   None of us ever did figure why just one of the 3 guy wires
had its turnbuckle work loose.  It was not vandalism either.    I required an extension ladder to get to it.   

##  I see some turnbuckles have what appears to be a pal nut or lock nut..+ split ring lockwasher + flatwasher. 
One end of the assy is reverse threaded.   I think the idea was then a safety wire is not required ? 

Jim  VE7RF