Was talking rotation indicators. Here's the ones we fabbed up for my 70 ton. There was a arm left on the aux (from a factory original unit that was gone), and we robbed a wheel from a old non operational greer unit, and purchased the push -pull cable. The little button just goes up and down on the lever. The rubber wheel is hooked to a shaft, with a offset drilled head. Has a heim joint on the end of the push pull cable. It's a little crude, but it works, surprisingly well. The crane came with a non operational greer unit (bad driver box), nothing on the aux, and I couldn't see dropping $1,800x2 to outfit it up with new greers. Nothing bad to say about the greers, I love them in the other rigs, I'm just too tight. Here's what comes for your $1,800: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Greer-HDR33...272725?hash=item43e295bc55:g:qr4AAOSw37tV9vK2
Never knew your middle name was Mcgyver. Heck of an idea. Do you ever have trouble in cold weather with the roller on the winch not rolling?
Cold weather? I live 10 miles from the arkansas border, the coldest its been in the 10 years or so that we've lived here was like 10 deg.( everyone thought they were going to die). Typical winter weather here is 50's daytime, 30's at night. I haven't worn my heavy insulated gear (boots, bibs, coat, hat) ever here. I usually get by with insulated bibs and a sweatshirt, maybe a stocking hat. Sometimes just long johns and a sweatshirt, no bibs. I grew up in central iowa- january and feb always had a 2 week stretch when the daytime temps wouldn't reach 0. So- I really can't say how they perform in cold, but I don't think they would be any different that a greer or joystick thumper, if you had ice or frozen drum, it might not have enough traction to turn, but its the same wheel used on everything else, so I don't think it would be any worse. I've got pretty good tension on the wheel with the spring. I really think the weak point may be the heim joint, it spins pretty good when you get the winch rolling, that joint is just steel on steel, I do spray a little lube on it when I think of it.
I like that idea Crane Op ,converts rotary to lineal motion like an old steam engine . Pretty hard to go wrong with a simple mechanical set up like you built ! :thumbsup Mine are similar but use a rotating cable in the line with a button at the hand control . They are a little " jumpy " and to be honest don't really rely on them . Good dedicated spotter when working "blind" . At the critical point if they want another 1/2 inch of cable reeled out I turn around & watch the drum . I still like the multi camera idea . Could have one looking at the winch and a " Boom camera " hanging of a pendulum mount on the rooster sheave to keep an eye on every one on the roof top . When working blind I'm always wondering what's taking them so long ? And the mega phone on the end of the boom . LOL !
I really like the Greer systems with the spinning wheel best of all the systems. It always seems like the thumpers in the joysticks are delayed just a little bit. The first of the week I'll be installing a wireless hirschman system in a crane. The rotation indicator is out as well so it'll get a camera on the hoist. I'll let you all know how it works.
eks go out? I hear parts are becoming hard to get for them.
No this is a customers rt700. Basically the same crane you have. The computer is out on it and he just wants it legal. Guy builds apartments and just wants a2b, boom angle, and rotation indicator. Doesn't want to spend the money on a full computer.
I put a camera pointing up at my winch, would have rather had it on the boom pointing back but there isn't a good spot without welding or drilling. I mounted it on the plate that holds the change of direction for the internal A2B wire it gives a good picture of the rope you can see the wires and strands, I'm worried that because it's pointing up it might get too dirty to see.I'm not really convinced it will be a lot of value, if not I will move it to the truck cab and face the camera to the rear for backing in to tight sights.
Nice work Tradesman ! Just have to experiment a bit & figure out what works best for the camera & view point . I thought about mounting one camera at the rear of the boom facing forward to keep an eye on the winch drums & cable . And another facing downward on the boom head on a swinging pendulum mount to help see what's going on . I'm always wondering " what's taking them so long " on a roof top when blind .
I've spent a lot of time thinking of it. Anything on the boom head would have to have a battery pack mounted with it, it needs a 12 volt power supply. The suppliers of the cameras don't offer a lot of hope for the camera being very clear at 70 plus feet that the camera would be away from the load a lot of the time, but now that i have one I might jerry rig the camera I have to see if it will work. The real crane cameras start at around $3,000 and go up from there. I don't see one in my future!
Good point Tradesman . Sure see the problem with cost on a good camera . Well ........... I reckon we just stay old school & getter done with a good spotter and a tape measure . Just got to do the math on cost of high tech equipment as it may end up being an expensive distraction in the end that don't help on the job at hand . One more gadget we don't need ?:beatsme
A nail bender worried about level? I always hear "looks great from my house". Camera looks good - brand, price, pic (color/bw), quality? I'm looking at the backup placement. Everyone stands around as I'm backing up. I back up until everyone starts running around yelling and waving arms. This might be safer.
I see the camera as another distraction taking your eyes off the hook block or load. Mike
My fault, I explained the difference between a nail bender and a carpenter on another thread. I'm a fourth generation carpenter and my son is the fifth. I guess I had that assault coming for using the phrase myself. Yep you never want to count on anyone backing you up I had four guys standing watching me back up one day, so silly me I put some faith in them, they stood right there and watched me back into a sono tube, I broke the tube and bent my rear bumper. I went back that afternoon and poured a new tube for them lesson learned
The camera is colour, 7" screen it was $500 I could have gotten less expensive ones but it is wireless and seems like very good quality.
We make thousands of decisions a day, I don't need to let it distract me .I used it for the second time this morning, I only looked at it twice once on a lift that was 65' out and blind they wanted just the wieght off the load I watched the camera and could tell exactly when I had hoisted up an inch without relying on reacting to when I heard the winch working. The old way has worked for me for years but they used to cross the ocean in a month on boats now we fly. I'm always intrested in being better than I was last week.
I'm with tradesman on that. It's good to watch the load but 75% of the time you can't see it. That's where the camera is nice. The regular rotation indicators are plenty good but with a camera on the hoist you can see exactly how much your hoisting up or down. Hirschman prs90 system I installed a few weeks ago. Came with a2b, boom angle, and the camera. To view the camera you have to go to a separate screen. Total cost was right at 4K. The first camera we mounted on the end of the boom looked a lot like tradesman's setup. I mounted a small box for the battery inside the jib. It was a backup camera setup for a tractor. It was mounted on a Grove rt740. The camera was mounted on the end of a 136' boom. It was a little grainy but it worked well for what we used it for. The battery would last 3 days, so it was a little unhandy to remember to recharge it at night. Once you got used to it you could set a bunk of plywood on the jacks on the back side of the building with out any directions. It was really nice when sending up bunks of walls too. They could radio down which unit they were ready for and you could send the walls up right where they went. With all that said the camera has been sitting in a box in the office since that job.