I would have cut the guys off the rings when dismantling the tower to insure
that the Phillystran was not damaged. I believe your tower was originally in
Florida and you're in Ohio. Depending on the frequency of the antenna(s)
near the rotating ring, insulators may or may not be helpful. Just cut off a
few feet of Phillystran and install new grips on previously un-gripped
cable, I have done this myself without issue. I had to frequently replace
the Big Grips at my P40A station due to corrosion and I have also done it
when moving a tower. Compared to all of the other costs with your project,
$350 for Big Grips is very minor.
GL
John KK9A
James w8wts wrote:
I wish that I could use shackles to fix this problem. The original builder
of these guy wire assemblies (NOT me) threaded the loop of the PS big grip
through the hole of a K0XG guy ring torque arm with a thimble. The PS big
grip and the rest of the tower were electrically connected. In my new
build, I am installing an insulator between the torque arm and the PS big
grip. Obviously the only way to insert an insulator is to remove the
present PS big grip. I am not happy about disposing of $350 worth of PS big
grips, but I'm willing to eat that cost to have insulators between the
torque arms and the PS big grips. I have Hubbell fiberglass rod down guy
insulators to attach the torque arms to the new PS big grips with thimbles.
That is why I wondered if I could wrap new PS big grips over the same length
of PS that used to be under the old big grips. I certainly could just snip
off the old big grips and the three feet of Phillystran under the big grips
on every end and start over, making the EHS tails about 3 ft longer. I
would end up throwing away over 36 ft of Phillystran, which I am loath to
do.
I will not try to reuse PS big grips in any way. I only wonder if I can put
new big grips on the same length of PS that had a big grip installed there
once before. I have not checked to see if the polyurethane jacket and the
aramid fiber core have sheared apart at the end, but will do so.
I appreciate everyone's input.
73,
Jim, W8WTS
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