To: | <towertalk@contesting.com> |
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Subject: | [TowerTalk] Tower tipS - really long |
From: | k4oj@tampabay.rr.com (Jim White, K4OJ) |
Date: | Mon Feb 10 16:07:15 2003 |
One of my more recent finds is using a new fangled boom to mast attachment - I use HD structural steel angles (about 1/4" thick) which are designed for two timbers coming together at right angles - typically used in the Pacific Northwest where latrge dimension lumber is a bit more reasonably priced since it grown out there... I have them custom produced and hot dip galvanized.... The reason for this is: It is an angle stock piece with gussets....each is about 5 inches on a side and roughly 10 inches long...I have custom located holes prepped for it - they are such that there are enough holes for three u-bolts to attach it to the mast and this same hole pattern is also at the ends of the piece.... The holes are in sets of 3.... a common hole which is near the "fold" of the stock and the next hole is c2c 2 1/16" away....for a 2" u-bolt.... shari g that first hole there is a companion hole which is c2c 3 1/16" inches away.... both sides of the angle stock are prepped identically so should you have to use it on one side or the other of your mast you have what you need.... and since the hole pattern is all the way around the holes on the non mast side of the angle work for your boom - on BOTH 2" or 3" diameter... Why go to such a bother you ask.... When you are on top the most important thing is for you to be in control of the antenna - if an HF antenna gets away from you retrieving it often is not an option and down it goes... I only dropped a yagi once and will never do it again. By using a right angled bracket - once the beam is topside you simply lower it onto the nice flat surface and voila you are NOT controlling all that weight - it is sitting there - with only work needed other than installing the u-bolts being keeping it from getting walked off the angle by a gust of wind... I hope I successfully described it for you.... I had to use this for a beam with a 2 1/2" boom recently and was about to be upset with myself when I realised I could take the original equipment plate and rework it... by rotating the manufacturers plate to horizontal and drilling holes that matched the holes of the HD angle bracket I was able to simnply set it on there and drop bolts through - even easier than the original idea since the mfg's plate was u-bolted to the boom and presented a large flat area that sat on the HD angle... I stuck a phillips screwdriver through one of the hole locations and used it to pivot the plate so that the other bolts lined right up - when I think of 30 years of muscling antenna boom to mast plates into poistion and simultaneously begging the u-bolts to go in to the holes and then quickly slapping a nut on them only to find I wasn't quick enough - hell - never again... Once the angles are on the mast they stay there - when you take an antenna down you take it off the angle... I had a bunch of these fabricated at once to minize the "set up charge" the manufacturer wanted - and - I had them hot dip galvanized after production - they will be around longer than I will for sure! Cost: A little over 20 bucks each - Effectivenss: PRICELESS! -...- Always do a run through in your mind of the job - think of every fastner and tool you will have to use and bring multiple wrnches for that size fastner - if you are wokring with 1/4" bolts bring up a Crescent wrench, a socket, a deepwell socket and ==== I especially like these: a wratcheting box wrench (great for u-bolts where you have to run the nuts a long way down the threads) -...- Always bring up EXTRA fastners for the job - be it extra nuts/washers/lockwashers/bolts.... it is much easier than having to climb AGAIN _..._ Always have the ground crew do the physical work - they are in a MUCH better situation to exert themselves... they can put their backs into their work with fear being a five foot fall :-) - you on the other hand - well.... ALSO : _..._ THE GUY ON THE TOWER CALLS ALL THE SHOTS...the guys on the ground need to minimize their chatter and focus on what he is doing to the best of their ability - the ground guys provide two things - muscle and support... if a wrench is needed, post haste! Think of it as a military exercise and the guy on the tower is your drill sargeant barking orders! _..._ Previously mentioned on the reflector - the climber should start by taking up a light line which will allow a work line to be established for the parts/tools bucket.... oh yeah.... use multiple snap rings in series on the rope to bucket attachment.... the initial snap ring atr the end of the rope stays at the end of the rope for the next thing to be lifted or lowered always... by then hooking another snapring onto that one you can snap the second one onto a tower rung - have the gorund go slack on the rope and them open the ropes snap ring and disconnect it - this way you do not have to take the weight of the bucket - just snap and unsnap it... AGAIN - let the ground crew do the work. _..._ Ground crew always need to remember that the guy on the tower can see things they cannot since he is right there - do not question the guy in the air - he is the boss! _..._ One of the best tower tips is to follow Towertalk - thanks K7LXC - good job you olde fuddy duddy! Cc: FCG Refletor Jim, K4OJ 75 Days until the Florida QSO Party... details at: http://www.qsl.net/fqp/ . |
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