Have you even looked it up? I didn't keep the original message, so I've lost what you really needed (Was the unistrut already in place?
Install I did last summer I spent: 10 pack of Hangers for 1/2" Hardline 16.00 10 Pack of Angle adapters 24.78 That gives you 40' of tower support for less than $50. If you've got round members, you can grab the Stainless Steel hose clamps locally and don't even have the cost of the angle adapters. Given todays price of Gas, It doesn't take but a couple of trips to a site to make up for the 'savings' of doing it cheaper. YMMV Chuck Jay Urish wrote: > Great advice! I know how much the andrew hardware costs... That would > bankrupt this project. > > I ended up going the all home depot route with galv unistrut and strut > clamps, minis and my spacing is 8'. I will evaluate the load on the > feedline, and add additional supports in problem areas.. > > > Jeff DePolo wrote: >> >> > Nope, because like you said, they would draw the feedline into the >> > strut, smashing it all up... >> >> I regularly use cushioned clamps for attaching rigid feedline to unistrut. >> I usually buy them from McMaster-Carr, but I'm sure they're available >> elsewhere. McMaster-Carr has them available in "tubing sizes" in additional >> to normal trade sizes- 1 5/8" or 3 1/8" rigid line is really 1 5/8" or 3 >> 1/8" OD. The soft plastic insert prevents the clamps from damaging the >> line. Here's what they look like: >> >> www.mcmastercarr.com - search for 32625T62 >> >> However, I wouldn't use them nor "mini's (Minearallac-type EMT clamps) on a >> tower, nor would I use any kind of off-the-shelf galvanized, anodized, any >> kind of plated unistrut on a tower. The galv on regular electrical-grade >> hardware doesn't hold up as long as most other tower-grade galvanized >> structural steel. Valmont makes good hot-dipped galv strut if you wanted to >> go that route. And as always, use only high-grade galv or stainless bolts, >> nuts, and other hardware to attach to the tower. Never ever use any kind of >> plated steel components on a tower. They will quickly rust and become >> semiconductors, and you will almost as quickly be banished from the site >> (assuming managed by diligent/competent people). >> >> Personally, I'd stick with the real stuff - stainless round member adapters >> (hose clamps) or stainless angle member adapters (beam clamps), and >> stainless butterflies or snap-ins. Do it once, do it right. If you make a >> few calls to local tower companies, I'd bet you'll find someone that either >> has a surplus that they'll see you at a fraction of the new cost, or maybe >> even a few 5-gallon buckets of hardware taken down that might still be in >> good condition and can be reused. >> >> As far as spacing between brackets/hangers, it varies with wind speed, icing >> conditions, and line size. Here's Andrew's chart, based on EIA-222: >> >> http://www.andrew.com/search/BN_96221.aspx >> <http://www.andrew.com/search/BN_96221.aspx> >> >> Most towers around here come from the factory with brackets spaced at 4'. >> >> And remember, coax "hangers" really aren't hangers. They aren't meant to >> hold the vertical weight of the line - that's what hoisting grips (aka >> Kellems grips) are for. The job of the hangers is to keep the line from >> flopping around horizontally in the wind, not to hold the weight up. A >> properly-installed butterfly is only tight enough to keep the line from >> moving, not hold the weight. >> >> As an alternative to butterflies or snap-ins, on big towers where feedline >> "bundling" is a necessity due to congestion and to reduce the windload, the >> traditional techinque is to install runs of rigid conduit the entire length >> of the tower (inside preferably), and then using tie wires (12AWG THHN >> solid) or "band it" stainless straps to aggregate the lines together around >> the conduit, again at regular (4' nominally) intervals. Hoisting grips are >> still used every 200' to hold the weight of each cable individually. >> >> Tie-wiring a cable directly to a leg is generally considered bad practice >> for a number of reasons. First, what do you do when you come to a leg >> flange? If you hug the cable tight against the flange, the sharp edges of >> the flange creates a spot for it to wear through. If you form the cable >> loosly around the flange, it leaves it open for room to move and create new >> problems that way. Also, by being mounted to the leg, it becomes an >> obstacle when someone else comes along and wants to attach an antenna mount >> to the leg. It's also more likely to get damaged by climbers and rigging >> lines. The list goes on and on... >> >> Hope this helps. >> >> --- Jeff >> >> >
