Howard, The winch on my 75 foot tower doesn't have a friction brake.  All
braking is handled by the jack screw.  It is impossible to turn a jack screw
backwards, so as the motor slows down, which it does in less than a second,
the braking takes place.  I would use the same arrangement on the TX-489's
winch.

Alan



Alan R. Downing
Phoenix, AZ


-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Howard, W A 9 Y B W
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2014 10:06 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: US Tower TX-489

Alan,

If you decide to add your own motor and gearbox to the hand winch, I need to

caution you about something.  You will need to be careful when lowering the 
tower because the friction brake in the winch will seriously overheat if you

come all the way down in one operation.  You will need to break the lowering

up in to several shorter periods of time interlaced with a cool-down time 
for the brake wafers.

Howard #3, W A 9 Y B W

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alan R. Downing" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, September 28, 2014 2:45 PM
Subject: Re: US Tower TX-489


> Hello again Howard.  You describe precisely what I employ on my present 75
> foot motorized crankup.  I had a sighted friend run the tower up to the
> point where the first moveable section, namely the second section of the
> tower, was 12 inches from hitting the upper stop.  We then tied a rope 
> from
> the bottom rung of that second section of tower, to a rung on the bottom
> section at about waiste high.  I simply feel the rope being pulled thru my
> left hand, and when it is almost tight I stop the winch and run it up the
> last several inches by turning the pulleys by hand.  I am only giving up
> about 1 foot in over all height by doing it this way, and no excessive
> stress is applied to the 5/16 inch stainless aircraft cable..  I can do 
> this
> US tower the exact same way.  I have the makings of two limit switches, 
> but
> the effort needed to make it all work isn't worth it to me.  Call me lazy,
> HiHi.
>
> Alan
>
>
>
>
>
> Alan R. Downing
> Phoenix, AZ
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of Howard, W A 9 Y B W
> Sent: Sunday, September 28, 2014 12:21 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: US Tower TX-489
>
> Alan,
>
> One disadvantage of the home made motorized winch is the lack of limit
> switches, however, I'm sure with a little ingenuity something could be
> fabricated.
>
> In lieu of limit switches, one could attach a piece of rope to the bottom 
> of
>
> the top section, crank the tower most of the way up, stopping perhaps 
> three
> or four feet short,put a knot in the rope at a point, say at the height of
> the winch and when the knot gets to that point, you would stop the motor
> having the three or four feet of safety room.  On an eighty-nine foot 
> tower
> the four feet of safety height would only amount to about twelve inches
> before the second section from the bottom would hit the stop.  This stop
> offers plenty of resistance that can be felt when using a manual winch,
> however, with a motorized winch without safety switches, it would be hard 
> to
>
> detect that you have hit the stop thus now stressing the whole system
> including possibly breaking the cable or winch.  That is why I suggest the
> three to four feet of safety room which might be better if six to eight
> feet.  Eighty-one feet of antenna height verses the eighty nine wouldn't
> make any difference and you have plenty of safety room to stop your motor.
>
> Just some thoughts.
>
> Howard #3, W A 9 Y B W
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Alan R. Downing" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, September 28, 2014 9:05 AM
> Subject: Re: US Tower TX-489
>
>
>> Hello Howard, thanks for your input.  I can easily fabricate a motorized
>> winch by buying a 1 or 2 HP Grainger motor and a 90 degree transmission
>> from
>> Hub City in Oowa and some pieces of steel.  Stick weld the whole
>> contraption
>> together and bingo, a custom built electric winch.  I have done that very
>> thing before, but I have gotten lazy in my 64 years on this planet, Hi. 
>> I
>> will check prices with US Tower, and make up my mind.  I could certainly
>> put
>> up the tower with the manual winch, then fabricate the electric winch
>> afterwards and make the switch.
>>
>> Best 73
>>
>> Alan
>>
>>
>> Alan R. Downing
>> Phoenix, AZ
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: For blind ham radio operators 
>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>> On Behalf Of Howard, W A 9 Y B W
>> Sent: Sunday, September 28, 2014 4:44 AM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: US Tower TX-489
>>
>> Alan,
>>
>> I don't have that specific tower from US Tower, however, I have the
>> HDX-572.
>>
>> Actually my tower was manufactured by Trusteo Tower which was purchased 
>> by
>> US Tower sometime in the mid to late eighties I believe.
>>
>> The HDX-572 is 72 feet fully extended and is four sections instead of the
>> five for the TX-489.
>>
>> When I purchased the tower in 1978 I couldn't afford the electric winch
>> and
>> went with the manual Fulton.
>>
>> We have a lot of wind and storms here in central Illinois and if I did it
>> again, I would purchase the electric winch.  I'm not sure you can buy 
>> this
>> tower with a manual winch any longer, only the electric.
>>
>> As for cranking it up and down, it isn't really that bad.  Obviously
>> coming
>> down is easier than going up.  I haven't really timed it but I can
>> probably
>> go full height in under thirty minutes with a few short one or two minute
>> breaks.
>>
>> If it wasn't such a hassle to get all the antennas down, remove and pour 
>> a
>> new foundation, I would consider replacing the tower with the motorized
>> HDX-572.  I don't even know if there is a company I could hire to do it 
>> or
>> not.
>>
>> If you have no need to raise or lower more than one or two times a year,
>> probably not worth it.
>> 73,
>>
>> Howard #3, W A 9 Y B W
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Alan R. Downing" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Saturday, September 27, 2014 7:32 PM
>> Subject: US Tower TX-489
>>
>>
>>> Does anyone on the list have a TX-489 tower by US Towers?  If so, I'd
>>> like
>>> to know if you use a manual winch, or the optional motorized winch.  I
>>> plan
>>> to put this tower up when the WX turns cooler, but I need to decide now
>>> whether to buy the motorized winch for it or not.  I don't raise and
>>> lower
>>> my tower very often, so I am not concerned about how long it takes to
>>> fully
>>> lower or raise it, just how much work it takes.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks for any suggestions.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Alan
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Alan R. Downing
>>>
>>> Phoenix, AZ
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
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