I've used thousands of aluminum Nicopress sleeves and they are perfectly
acceptable when used correctly, as are the copper sleeves.
Stress testing (by others) indicated that a single sleeve failed before
the EHS guy it was attached to, so you want at least two. The second can
be placed right at the free end of the guy cable, thereby neatly
containing the cut strands of the guy cable, which are a cut hazard to
hands if not kept contained and covered. And I would often use three
just to be anal about it.
That said, once I started using Preformed Big Grips about 20 years ago,
I said to hell with sleeves, as does anyone who has used both.
-Steve K8LX
On 9/9/2010 2:55 AM, Ray Benny wrote:
> To all,
>
> I am helping a friend install 50 ft of Rohn 25G tower. We are guying it
> twice using what I call 'nicropress' clamps around the guy wire insulators
> and thimbles. In the past, I have always used the copper nicropress clamps
> that are coated with nickel, I think it is.
>
> Well, the fellow went to the local hardware store and a bunch of the
> aluminum version of the nicropress clamps. I told him that I have never seen
> aluminum nicropress clamps used for guying towers. He then looked in QST and
> called a store that sells antenna and tower hardware. They told him
> that they were fine for tower guywires.
>
> I'm the one who is going to climb the tower and do the antenna work, but I
> just don't feel comfortable climbing a tower with guywires built with
> aluminum nicropress clamps.
>
> Am I wrong to feel this way, or have the Aluiminum clamps become the
> standard? In other words, are they acceptable replacements for the nickel
> plated copper ones?
>
> Another question, are two clamps required per joint? I've seen both one and
> two nicropress clamps at guywire joints, but never knew if the second was
> required.
>
> Please advise.
>
> Ray,
> N6VR
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