If you anticipate needing to raise/lower big antennas a number of times over
the years you might consider making a carriage/track system. Many years ago I
put one together on my 100 foot tower that allowed me to raise/lower large
antennas as a one man job. I built a short (4 foot) tower section on which I
mounted the rotator (prop pitch motor) and antenna (large LP) and for the track
two really heavy duty (about 1/2") cables run between the ends of 4 foot long x
4" steel channel at the top and bottom of the tower.The top and bottom of the
carriage each have a 4 foot x 2" channel with holes in the ends that ride on
the cables and nest into the 4" channel. The top 2" carriage channel bolts
into the 4" channel at the top and a small pin on the bottom of the carriage
locks into a hole on a piece of channel which is bolted onto the tower to help
stabilize things once the carriage is in place. A winch cable runs from the
carriage up across the top of the tower and back down t
o a heavy duty winch (with room for 100 feet of cable) at the base of the
tower. Yes, this does require removing one set of guys at a time when
raising/lowering. But, in my younger years, I could, by myself, lower, work on,
and raise an antenna on a weekend. A significant project but over the years
well worth the effort.
Gene / W2LU
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