Well, I just changed out the cable on my 29-year old LM-354 for the first
time yesterday. This tower was new in 1977 and made by Tri-Ex at Visalia on
the West Coast. The original tower raising cable from 1977 was 1/4-inch 7 x
19 SS aircraft cable. Although the original cable had a fair coat of rust
from the old steel boom-to-mast plate on the TB-6EM that bleed down through
the tower, the 29-year old SS looked 'original' inside. I replaced it with
zinc coated '7x19 constr' cable by Cooper (Made in China) from Home Depot.
The working load limit is specified at 1400 pounds.
The old (like new on the winch drum) SS cable and new cable are exactly the
same thickness between two metal bars.
I am at a loss as to where the 3/16-inch cable size is required.
I went through my 1977 purchase file, shipping list, and specs on the tower
and the only cable size noted was 3/16-inch 24-foot cable shipped for use
with 'Fulton Load-Lok' Winch Model 945A on the tilt-over fixture. There is
no reference to the tower raising cable size in any of the Tri-Ex material.
The new 1/4-inch stuff looks great in all the pulleys. I pulled all pulley
wheels and checked for wear and lubed them - they spin like a top; I found
no looseness or binding.
There's some Cable 101 info at:
http://www.bergencable.com/technology/technology_cable101.html
Should I worry?
Should I spring for some SS at $2.05 per foot at Home Depot?
Best Regards, Norm Styer - AI2C
May The Morse Come To You !!!
NNNN
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Maser" <bmaser@tampabay.rr.com>
To: "Bob Maser" <bmaser@tampabay.rr.com>; <KJ6Y@aol.com>; <K7LXC@aol.com>;
<towertalk@contesting.com>; <k2qmf@juno.com>; <n2tu@roadrunner.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 8:44 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Winch cable for a LM354
> BTW, the specs on the LM 354 Tri-ex tower specifies 3/16" x 7 x 19
> aircraft
> cable NOT 1/4". Look it up in Google under LM 354 Tower Specs. It is the
> first hit on Google.
>
> Bob
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bob Maser" <bmaser@tampabay.rr.com>
> To: <KJ6Y@aol.com>; <K7LXC@aol.com>; <towertalk@contesting.com>;
> <k2qmf@juno.com>; <n2tu@roadrunner.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 8:31 PM
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Winch cable for a LM354
>
>
>> Why does the LM354 use 1/4" when the LM470 use 3/16"? I've recabled 3 of
>> these LM470 towers and the cable replaced was 3/16". SS cable is weaker
>> and
>> costs over 40% more.
>>
>> Bob W6TR
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: <KJ6Y@aol.com>
>> To: <K7LXC@aol.com>; <towertalk@contesting.com>; <k2qmf@juno.com>;
>> <n2tu@roadrunner.com>
>> Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 7:46 PM
>> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Winch cable for a LM354
>>
>>
>>> LM-354 uses 1/4 in cable. Stainless is OK.
>>>
>>> Skip, KJ6Y
>>> _Communications Service Co_ (http://members.aol.com/kj6y/skip.html)
>>> 818-887-3569
>>>
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
> _______________________________________________
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