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Re: [TowerTalk] COAX on CRANKUP-how to hang

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] COAX on CRANKUP-how to hang
From: <w5gn@mxg.com>
Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 10:55:46 -0500
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
That J at the end of the first sentence, in the received text was, in my sent 
html text, a smiley face!

-----Original Message-----
From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of 
w5gn@mxg.com
Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2013 10:50 AM
To: kr2q@optimum.net
Cc: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] COAX on CRANKUP-how to hang

I guess if you have truly stiff coax, that can not bend, then how can you lower 
the tower?  Won't it hold up the tower?  J

 

I've only experienced the problem when lowering the tower and I had a cluster 
of three large coax (can't recall now but low loss and moderately rigid) plus 
two rotator cables taped every foot, but as the tower lowers, the cluster was 
still able to bend to the will of the wind and when the tower was down 4 or 5 
feet, there was enough slack that the coax would be blown into the tower (the 
cable was on the SW side and that, of course, is the primary direction of wind 
in Dallas).  When I first had run the cluster thru three standoffs,

sometimes they would slide thru but often one of the tiewraps or a slight 
discontinuity in the line of the cluster was enough to hang on the standoff, 
causing slack to be created above that standoff.

Even when I removed the intermediate standoffs, and had the full weight of the 
cluster hanging down, winds of 20 mph or better were enough to push the coax 
against the tower, and cause it to hang, 

sometimes on the top of the bottom section, again allowing slack to develop 
above that point.  Using ropes tied where the intermediate standoffs would have 
been when fully extended allow me to pull the cluster awaw when lowering.

 

73

 

Barry, EI/W5GN

From: kr2q@optimum.net [mailto:kr2q@optimum.net]
Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2013 5:45 AM
To: w5gn@mxg.com
Cc: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: RE: [TowerTalk] COAX on CRANKUP-how to hang

 

HI Barry...long time no see!

 

For those of us without this experience, please explain how a "stiff" piece of 
coax enter between the zig/zags on your crankup.   If I have a 10 foot length 
of coax and hold it vertically against the tower, I have push quite hard to get 
it to bend and then "enter" into the lattice.  I am clearly missing something! 

 

thanks,

Doug KR2Q

----- Original Message -----
From: w5gn@mxg.com
Date: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 8:13 am
Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] COAX on CRANKUP-how to hang
To: kr2q@optimum.net, towertalk@contesting.com

> My experience is quite different.
> 
> With either standoffs or a single support at the top, lowering the 
> tower when there was much wind would frequently push the slack coax 
> into the tower sections, requiring a stop and either wait or raise a 
> little and try again.
> 
> I finally supported the coax bundle only at the top, and added two 
> rope lines so I could pull the coax away from the tower during 
> lowering.
> And I then ran the rope thru pulleys on the adjacent house and use 
> them to hang the coax so it's not on the ground.
> 
> I also found the remote control unit a complete waste of money, as I 
> always want to be at the base of the tower to pull the coax away and 
> observe what happens.
> 
> Barry, EI/W5GN
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of 
> kr2q@optimum.net
> Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 6:39 AM
> To: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] COAX on CRANKUP-how to hang
> 
> I have owned crank-up towers for close to 40 years...in multiple 
> locations and using multiple types of crankup towers (Heights, 
> Hy-Gain, US Tower). I still own 2 crank-ups.
> 
> In all cases, I just let the coax and rotor cable "hang down" 
> right along side of the tower.
> 
> I never used standoffs or coax arms. Not sure why they are necessary.
> 
> Nothing ever got tangled or "hung up" in the tower. I think that would 
> be really difficult to do.
> I mean, why would coax (eg, RG8 type) want to or be able to "decide" 
> to bend and enter into the tower lattice? It is already handing from 
> the very top to the very bottom. For me, it would take an 
> extraordinary act of nature to "convince" the coax to defy gravity, 
> bend into a small loop, and "enter" the tower lattice.
> 
> de Doug KR2Q
> _______________________________________________
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> 
> 

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