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[TowerTalk] Bent Mast

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] Bent Mast
From: WW4T@aol.com (WW4T@aol.com)
Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 12:05:33 EDT
In a message dated 4/23/01 9:24:49 AM Eastern Daylight Time, WW4T@aol.com 
writes:

<<   Roger...
    Several years ago I had the same problem with a bent mast and TH7 with a 
2 
 meter antenna above it. Also keep in mind I had a  "schedule 80" mast pipe 
in 
 place.  After several of us had  headscratched for a while, we decided to do 
 the following....it worked great for me, and may be a solution for you. 
    1)  Tie a strong rope as far  up and "above" the bent place as 
 possible.....
    2)  Tie another rope to the area of the "bend"....just "below" the bend 
 and just above the bend.  This is a simple "bridge" of the bent  place on 
the 
 mast.
    3)  take a hacksaw, and SLOWLY saw and gradually weaken the "bent" 
 part....while simultaneously letting the ground crew pull downward on rope # 
 1.....as the cut weakens the mast, and tension pulls downward....the mast 
 will bend downward, and the antennas will be reachable as the mast folds 
 over.  You can gain access to the antennas, and remove them this way.
    4)  Rope #2 is a "safety" measure that spans the bent area that you are 
 sawing through, in case the mast totally fails as it is being sawed and 
 weakened. In my case, the mast collapsed and folded over gently, but rope # 
2 
 is a MUST in case Murphy is around. 
    
    I hope this suggestion helps you or someone else......I am sure there are 
 other ideas and better ones, but this worked great for me, and I would not 
 hesitate to do it again.
    73  Bob WW4T  
    P.S.  If you cant figure this out....email me and I will give you my LL # 
 ......  ww4t@aol.com
  >>

P.S.S.
P.S.S.
P.S.S.  Sorry Roger...there was another step in there....Have your gin pole 
up there, and tied at the same place that rope # 1 is, above the bend as high 
as possible.......the ginpole will be your safety measure and shock absorber 
"if" the pipe starts failing and tearing faster than you planned 
for......hope this makes sense.  Rope # 2 keeps any movement to a minimum 
"if" the pipes breaks also. Its fairly straight forward, and you can simulate 
some of the operation from the ground before going up.   
    73  Bob   '4t

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