I've used double-braided Dacron rope from Synthetic Textiles for many years,
and found it always stretches -- how much depends on how much tension you
use.
I've never used clamps and thimbles on this rope, seems kind of overkill and
just adds more weight to each line, which might cause it to stretch even
more.
I do use long turnbuckles, installed at guy anchor level (ground), and have
found that a 60' Dacron rope will stretch so much that it will "use up" the
entire threaded area of 7" turnbuckles within a few days, and then I have to
re-tie the ropes to provide another 7" of adjustment. After a few months,
that 7" is again used up and another re-tie job is required; however,
usually after two re-ties, it's pretty stable.
I haven't measured the tension under the discussed conditions but would
estimate it to be about 100 lbs or so. For "towers," I use the 5/16", not
the 3/16", stuff. I've used 3/16" for wire antenna supports for about 20
years, and of course a bit of stretch in those applications is pretty easy
to ignore.
WB2WIK/6
"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough." -
Mario Andretti
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Don Havlicek [SMTP:n8de@thepoint.net]
> Sent: Monday, October 21, 2002 7:25 AM
> To: Rob Atkinson, K5UJ
> Cc: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [Towertalk] Dacron stretching
>
> Rob,
> I've been using Dacron guy lines for my 80m vertical [it's a 60-foot
> aluminum tower] for 13 years, and have experienced NO STRETCHING over
> that period of time.
> Don
> N8DE
>
>
> "Rob Atkinson, K5UJ" wrote:
> >
> > Hi everyone:
> >
> > I have a vertical guyed with dacron. At both ends of each guy I've got
> 3 or
> > 4 small clips and thimbles (in other words, I didn't just tie knots and
> > leave it at that). The anchors are 4' ground screws with 3" helixes in
> line
> > with the guys. I find that about every 6 months I have to put tension
> back
> > into the guys. Is this because the dacron stretches--is it supposed to
> > stretch that much? I'm using 3/16" rope & wonder if this is normal with
> > this stuff--I've heard that it stretches but I figured eventually it
> would
> > quit doing that. Just wondered if there's a possibility of a problem
> > somewhere else like it is slipping through the U clips (however I've
> > tightened them as much as I can). Tnx,
> >
> > 73,
> > Rob Atkinson
> > K5UJ
> > k5uj@hotmail.com
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
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> > _______________________________________________
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> _______________________________________________
> AN Wireless Self Supporting Towers at discounted prices,
> See http://www.mscomputer.com
>
> Wireless Weather Stations now $349.95. Call Toll Free,
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