[UK-CONTEST] Versatower Rope Lubricant

[Alex Allan]

Hi,
For what it is worth, I used to use Finnigans "Waxoyl".... the stuff for
undersealing cars.  It was pretty effective when I lived up in North east
Scotland.

Alex
----- Original Message -----
From: "Nigel Cawthorne" <G3TXF at compuserve.com>
To: "UK Contesting" <uk-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, May 26, 2003 8:00 PM
Subject: [UK-CONTEST] Versatower Rope Lubricant


> 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
> >
> ><
>
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