[UK-CONTEST] Versatower Rope Lubricant

[Nigel Cawthorne]

Hello UK-Contesters,

I've been reading the recent thread on rusty cables and 
Versatowers with great interest. I had my own first Versatower
'twang' experience a  couple of months ago. I was winching
an unloaded (apart from the centre of a 160m wire dipole)
M80 (80ft Versatower on a trailer) when the winching cable
snapped clean in two. The Versatower (fortunately with
the second section no higher than three feet off the bottom) 
collapsed back down with an almightly thud and twanging
sound. Not an experience quickly forgotten. However this
was nothing to what it might of been, had there been a heavy
antenna on the tower and had it taken place with the tower
much higher up. 

The tower in question is nine years old and has spent all its
life within a few hundred yards of the sea. Most of the cables
are long-since discoloured with rust. However I am now in the
process of replacing the cables on all the towers at the Devon.
QTH. I've been lucky not to have had a more serious problem.

The Versatower at home (in the leafy surburbs of London) on
the other hand, shows no sign of rust on the cables. 

The "wire rope and chain" lubricant supplied by Versatower
(at great expense) is made by Viking Chemicals, Stock House,
Seymour Road, Nuneaton Tel : 024 7632 2155. The product
number is UN1250. This lubricant certainly matches the 
description of Roger VE3ZI, in that it's revolting looking stuff.
It bubbles up as you spray it onto the cables and ends up
being a goo-ey mess. It remains to be seen if it does its stuff.

Having had the recent nasty 'Versatower twang' experience
with a tower in Devon, I intend to use this lubricant product,
or something similar, in generous quantities in the future.

73 - Nigel G3TXF

Message text written by "Don Beattie"
>It used to be "Shell Alvania RA". Not sure if that is current.

Don, G3BJ


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Roger Parsons" <ve3zi at yahoo.com>
To: <uk-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2003 12:49 PM
Subject: [UK-CONTEST] Rope Grease


> There is a type of grease specifically intended for
> ropes. I'm afraid I don't know the details, but I do
> know that as used on mine shaft winding ropes it is
> extremely filthy and gets everywhere!
>
> 73 Roger
> VE3ZI
>
><