Tips & Advice
Recommended Installation Procedure
1. Calculate or measure the needed lengths of the guys (the part of the “anchoring system” made
from the synthetic rope).
2. Add the length needed for proper end termination. For the standard terminations (thimble, clip,
knot) it is about 60-times the rope diameter for each end.
3. Cut the rope using hot edge (for example with a soldering iron). Melting temperature of polyester
is about 260 °C (500 °F), Dyneema 150 °C (300 °F).
4. Prepare appropriate thimble. If needed, you can open the thimble by pliers, thread on the
attaching subject and close it to original shape. Small shape distortion has no influence to total
strength.
5. Prepare appropriate clip – dismantle it.
6. The rope wraps around the thimble, place it to the clip and put the clip together (see Figure). The
open end of the rope should be left free, about
35-times the rope diameter (for the safety knot).
7. Place the clip as close as possible to the
thimble.
8. Tighten the screws of the clip very firmly
and make the knot (see Figure). Fix the free end
of the rope with a cable tie to stop it fraying.
9.
10. It is necessary to tighten the clips
repeatedly during tensioning the rope. Therefore
at the inaccessible end of the guy is necessary to
tighten before installing the guy. Attach the end of
the rope (the one with the thimble) to a solid
object and tighten the rope gradually. After each step (increase of tensioning force) tighten the
screws of the clip. Ideally, the final tightening is performed at maximum workload (30% of the
strength). With thicker ropes, however, this ideal is difficult to achieve – for example the
stretching could be performed by a rope stretched between two fixed points and loading the
rope perpendicular to the their axis with the required weight. Also we could use a car to pull on
the rope or create a temporary hoist for tensioning.
11. Place the guy where it will be used. Tension it gradually and tighten the clips (as described
above).
12. Visually check whether there has been slippage of the rope in the clip - if so, it means that we
have not chosen a suitable tensioning and tightening procedure, or that the terminal is defective.
13. For tensioning cables we can use threaded turnbuckles. For telescopic masts, we can do it
without a turnbuckle. Lower the mast slightly and tighten clamps then wind the mast back up
and retighten. The suitability of this procedure is, of course, different for each type of mast.
14. Optimal pre-tension of the rope (tension in idle) is dependent on a number of factors - the design
and strength of the mast, the type and strength of the rope, the distance from the base of the
mast to the anchor point. In most applications best suited force is 5-20% of the strength of the
rope. Do not guess! Calculate for your particular mast.
15. After final tensioning of the guys in "idle" the rope will for some time continue "settling". Check
the guys and, if necessary, tension them the next day after the installation and then about 3
times at intervals of about 1 week. We must always follow the correct procedure for tightening
clamps!
Most common mistakes and accident causes:
The anchor point is situated too near to the tower base and that is why the angle between the
guy rope and the tower equals much less than 45 degrees.
The clips weren’t re-tightened while the rope was under tension.
Behind the clips there is no safety element (second clip, knot).
The end of the rope is not terminated with a thimble, but tied directly to the construction.
The rope was chewed through by an animal or cut through.
From: https://www.mastrant.com/tips-advice/useful-tips-tricks-and-advice/12-recommended-installation-
procedure
Tips & Advice
Basic Instructions to Guy with Synthetic Ropes
When planning an “anchoring system” (guy-ropes with end termination, couplers and anchorage) there
are a number of facts that have to be taken into account:
1. The stability of the system is determined by its weakest link. That is why it is no use combining a
rope of 5000 kg of strength with a turnbuckle 500 kg strong.
2. Even the most excellent synthetic rope is elastic – when guyed it elongates. In the layout of the
tower and its anchorage (even when fixing elements of the antennas) you have to reckon with
this characteristic and always consider how the elongation of the anchoring system will affect the
overall construction. In certain cases it will be necessary to use a stronger rope (with a smaller
absolute extensibility), than for other constructions that are not negatively affected by the
elongation of the anchors. A problem occurs especially in such a case, when the ground anchor
point is situated too close to the tower base, or when dealing with a lattice tower with low
flexibility.
3. The rope must be screened against all kind of sharp edges. For this reason it is necessary to fix
the rope with a thimble or tie it to a coupler with a very smooth surface. Be aware of the fact that
inappropriate metallic materials corrode and therefore their surface roughens. Never should you
tie a rope to a concrete slope or to a stone! If you do want to use a stone, a rock or a concrete
slope as ground anchor point, we recommend using a loop from steel rope, which you can
connect to the guy rope with the help of a smooth coupler.
4. A great danger for any synthetic rope lies in friction against any object on its path. This can
cause the rope to be seriously damaged or cut through, and has to be avoided at all cost. Even a
guy rope on a tower can move enough to suffer friction damage if it touches anything along its
length, so please locate your guys carefully. Particularly to be avoided are trees and tree
branches. If you are using a tree support for a wire antenna you must ensure that no part of the
synthetic rope can get close enough to the tree to risk damage by rubbing. Always use steel rope
near or in a tree. You could use a pulley on the end of a steel rope to keep the synthetic rope well
clear.
5. The lower part of the anchoring system should consist of steel rope cord in 2-4 meters of length.
This ensures that the synthetic rope isn’t “chewed up” by an animal or gets damaged by some
human activity (intentionally or unintentionally).
A key element of safety is the end termination of the rope:
1. Guy ropes can be terminated with a thimble (permanent installation) or they can be tied to a
smooth object.
2. When fastening a rope by tying, we recommend making sure the rope does not move on the
object it is tied to (even though we are talking about smooth fastening points). This can be
achieved by tying the rope to a coupler – chain quick-acting coupler, spring hook or shackle – and
only then fix it to the fastening point.
3. Each thimble must be followed by a clip or swaged fitting. We
recommend duplex wire rope clips or first-grips. Behind the main clip
(the one that follows the thimble) the loose end of the rope must be
fixed by a safety element – another clip or several loops, similar to the so-called anchor-hitch.
Further, the end of the loose rope is insured
against uncurling for example with a cable tie.
4. Other
possibility is using crimped terminals (swaged “clips”). Those are only
practical on one end of the rope – otherwise it is not possible to
adjust the length. We sell them as “Ready-made" or “Terminated” guyropes - here.
5. When guyed, a rope’s diameter decreases and therefore
it loosens inside the clip. For this reason, clips must be drawn up
while the rope is guyed, that is “under pressure”.
6. Beware of classic bull-dog grips! These rope clips are constructed specially for steel ropes and
when under high tension they can “snip off” synthetic ropes. In no case do we recommend using
them as main clips for the end termination of ropes – they may be used as “safety clips” behind
the main clip, however.
7. We suggest considering wedge sockets. Although they are relatively expensive they have several
exceptional rope protecting properties, thanks to the "self-locking" system they tighten when
stretching and allow convenient changes in the length of the anchoring system.
Most common mistakes and accident
causes:
The anchor point is situated too near to the tower base and that is why the angle between the
guy rope and the tower equals much less than 45 degrees.
The clips weren’t re-tightened while the rope was under tension.
Behind the clips there is no safety element (second clip, knot).
The end of the rope is not terminated with a thimble, but tied directly to the construction.
The rope was chewed through by an animal or cut through.
In the following case there was used improper rope with high elongation.
From: https://www.mastrant.com/tips-advice/useful-tips-tricks-and-advice/11-basic-instructions-to-guy-
with-synthetic-ropes
Tips & Advice
Anchoring the masts and vertical antennas - 1
Martin Huml, OL5Y/OK1FUA, huml@mastrant.com
(note: all tables are available in Excel format)
During my radio amateur activities, I dedicate most of my time (probably like any one of us) to the
question of antennas. And one of the most important and maybe the most challenging task is to get the
antenna “into the air” and keep it there. Apparently this applies to all antennas, perhaps with the
exception of beverage antennas... I wrote about this subject in the article “How to build and anchor
simple antenna masts” (magazine “Radioamatér” 2 & 3/2004). At that time, I already felt that this issue is
so interesting, complicated and extensive that it would be appropriate to return to it.
Another motive for writing the following article was to include the questions asked either by my friends
or emerging on their own, e.g. “Why are you anchoring the vertical so low down?”, “Will this rope be
strong enough?”, “Will this mast be able to carry the antenna?” and so forth. Most of the time I couldn't
find a better answer than “because I think it's enough” or “because I saw it somewhere like that”. This
doesn't sound very scientific. Practice and experience are great and irreplaceable, but too much of it is
guesswork, so when my activities brought me to “anchoring” I decided to look into it from the theoretical
perspective as well. First, I would like to state that I am not an engineer; so, after studying some time, I
consulted Engineer Richard Beber, who, unlike me, has studied this issue. Here, I would like to thank him
- the article wouldn't have been written if it weren't for him.
Hence, as indicated by the name of this article, its main subject is focused on how to anchor antennas.
This doesn't mean that owners of the non-anchored masts won't find something interesting. For
instance, calculations of forces acting on the antenna in the wind or other matters might be useful.
Used terms and simplification
I ask the experts and linguists for leniency - I use these terms as I know them from amateur practice:
Place (point) of mounting = the place where the anchor rope is mounted on the mast
Height of mounting = the distance between the point of mounting and the mast bottom
Anchoring place (point) = the place where the anchor rope is attached to the ground (or other
fixed point)
Distance of anchoring = the distance between the point of anchoring and the mast bottom
The system = the mast with antenna
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