[TowerTalk] Terminating Phillystran to EHS

[Steve K8LX]

I've always used a shackle in that spot, mostly so I could disconnect 
the connection at-will.

Regardless, the Philly side thimble is just the thimble, so MAY not be a 
big noise generator.

RE the diode effect - I wonder if folks worry about the Big Grip to EHS 
"connection", with all that grit.

-Steve K8LX

On 2/7/2021 6:56 PM, john at kk9a.com wrote:
> I have had no issues using back to back thimbles, even in a very corrosive
> environment.
> 
>  From Bill K4XS
> Date:	Fri, 5 Feb 2021
> 
> Still in the planning stages for the new station.
> In the past terminating the Phillystran from the tower to the EHS stub down
> at
> ground level was quite easy.  The old style potting ends terminated into a
> sort
> of clevis and all one had to do was put a thimble i inside the PLP EHS grip
> end
> to run the EHS down to the ground.
> The new style isn't quite as easy.  I've used 502 insulators at the
> termination
> point when I got a bunch at $1 each, which really worked well.  I've heard
> some
> guys  simply hook two thimbles together with the PLP grips inside for the
> connection.  It seems this method would eventually fail due to the wearing
> away
> from vibration on the galvanizing and rust would start corroding the
> unprotected stell thimbles.
> Others have suggested using a clevis at the point, fastening the Philly to
> the
> curved end and the EHS to the uncurved side.  This to me seems like a better
> 
> solution but the 136 Rohn tower will be using 1/4 inch EHS so the cost of
> the
> clevises runs some bucks when the suggested size needed is 5/8 inch.   By
> the
> way the tower will be 1/2 mile from the ocean so corrosion could be an
> issue.
> The ideal solution would be to find 12 502 insulators at a good price.
> One other thing...I picked up some used new style guy bracket assemblies but
> 
> they didn't have the elongated "donuts" that attaches to the bracket
> assembly.
> I have the same issue with the spacer washers...need some too.
> Any thought on the connecting issue?  Any of the "donuts" or spacers out
> there?
> Bill K4XS/V31XX