[TowerTalk] TX-455 Cable

[k7lxc at aol.com]

> My US Tower TX-455 instructions say to replace the steel cable that raisesand lowers the tower section every 3 years.  I assume that a lawyer wrotethat, but is it necessary to replace the cable at some point?  My tower is18 years old, it's in the desert, I lube it every couple of years, and itappears to be in good shape.     Yes, the admonition by UST is a weasel clause. That is, if anything happens to your tower and you didn't follow their instructions, they can weasel out of any responsibility.     Tower manufacturers are insurance driven enterprises. That's also why they're loath to pass along any meaningful information about their products.      There are 3 reasons you might want to replace the cables. 1) Excessive broken strands. In a typical 7x19 bundle, you're allowed something like 6 broken strands. 2) Damage. This would be a kink or flat spot in the cable. 3) Excessive rust. Not your typical surface rust but real cancerous growth.     In your case I'd say you have zero reasons to replace the cables. They might even outlast you.  Cheers,Steve    K7LXCTOWER TECH