WHISPER 100/WHISPER 200 24 Foot Tower Manual
Document #0026 REV E
SOUTHWEST WINDPOWER
5/20/05
17
Step 9:
Final Adjustment of Guy Wires
Check to see if any of the guy wires are too tight and are causing the tower to bow. A tower with
slightly loose wires is safer than a tower with wires that are too tight. If there are, determine which
wire(s) are too tight (the wires act in pairs) and release the tension on one of the wires. To relieve
tension on a wire, loosen the two cable clamps until the cable can be slid through them and feed in
just enough slack to relieve the tension.
The tension on the wires should be very light and can be set by pulling the wire by hand. It is easy
to over tighten the guy wires, even by hand. Once adjusted, be sure to re-tighten the cable clamp
nuts. Repeat this until the tower is no longer bowed.
Now walk a short distance from the tower and look to evaluate whether the tower is straight or
leaning to one side (a carpenter’s level held against the tower can be helpful for this). You will
need to loosen one wire and tighten the wire opposite to it. Check the tower straightness and repeat
the process until the tower is straight.
When you are finished, make sure that all the cable clamps are tight. If the tower is to be lowered,
only unclamp the cable on the lifting wire side so that when the tower is re-erected only that cable
will need to be readjusted.
Grounding
To properly ground the tower to the earth a ground rod (usually copper plated steel) should be
installed as close to the tower base as possible. A #10 AWG or larger wire should be attached to
the tower pipe or base coupler near the bottom of the tower with its other end clamped to the
ground rod.
Maintenance
Periodically check to see that the guy wire tension is set properly. Typically there is no other
maintenance required for this tower. Keep your setup kit in a safe place in case the tower needs to
be moved or the turbine requires service.
Step 10: Lowering the Tower
If it is necessary to lower your tower for any reason, follow these steps:
1)
Disconnect your turbine wires at the controller.
2)
“Short” the wires together to stop the turbine from spinning
3)
Disconnect the guy wire on the lifting wire side only. Attach it to the winch or vehicle.
