[TowerTalk] turnbuckle safety wires

[Grant Saviers]

There is a simple analogy to consider when thinking about turnbuckles 
loosening or not.  Their threads are same 60 degree form and helix 
angles as common nuts and bolts.  So if you think nylocks, lockwashers, 
Nordlocks, aviation nuts, or etc. are never needed then there is no need 
to secure turnbuckles against unscrewing.  We all know that is not the 
case.  While the helix angle on these threads is nominally self locking, 
whether it locks for a turnbuckle (or any bolt) depends on surface 
finishes, lubrication, vibration, contamination, tension cycling, torque 
from the guy twist, temperature cycling, etc, same as other fasteners.  
Hot dip galvanizing is a known thread lubricant, the bolt torque tables 
show fewer ft-lbs to tighten bolts to specified stress/tension.  My 
tower installer applied additional lubricant.   At the specified torque 
values for structural bolts, the fastener is far less likely to loosen.  
That isn't the static load in a turnbuckle which is exposed to many of 
the conditions that cause common fasteners to loosen.

Grant KZ1W



On 9/22/2017 12:55 PM, Roger (K8RI) on TT wrote:
> There is often a big difference between what is a proper turnbuckle 
> installation and what the typical ham chooses and does.
> Likewise, I've never seen a turnbuckle unscrewing by itself. Vandals?  
> Kids?  All a safety wire would do is slow determined vandals down. 
> There are other, quicker methods, but they leave no doubt that vandals 
> did the deed.
>
> I've seen a number of ham installations where a safety wire was needed 
> in case the turnbuckle failed.  There is a hexagonal Aluminum rod, 
> threaded on both ends (LH & RH threads). They are handy, easy to use, 
> light weight, and cheap. I've even used some on small, single and 
> double braided rope where the lines only serve as a backup to keep a 
> vertical straight.  IOW, strength wasn't as important as light weight. 
> However, I have seen these used on ROHN 25G. Where their failure could 
> lead to expensive repairs and safety issues. The use of under size 
> turnbuckles is common. In those cases the safety wire does serve as a 
> "back up" in case the turnbuckle fails.   THOSE safety wires need a 
> minimum of 2 and preferably 3 cable clamps at each end
>
> In the case of the Al rods, they don't unscrew. The threads fail. The 
> ends are steel rods with the typical, "ends bent in a circle" which is 
> not welded or forged. The internal Al threads contacting steel corrode 
> relatively fast.
>
> As I've said before, the typical ham has nowhere near the knowledge 
> present on TowerTalk and even that is going down rather quickly with 
> today's question pool and the practical knowledge required to earn a 
> license.
>
> Towers seem to be a subject where the input of an "Elmer" is seldom 
> sought.  The old TV tower approach with a soft, galvanized guy simply 
> wrapped around a single tower leg, rather than a guy bracket (as ROHN 
> uses).  Those old Radioshack guys are surprisingly weak.  I've seen 
> three men pull a 3/16ths in two while walking up a 40' tower.
>
> 73, Roger (K8RI)
>
>
> On 9/12/2017 Tuesday 8:48 PM, Steve Maki wrote:
>> 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
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