Hi there, just found your forum ! I know my terminology is probably wrong -- I never did know the proper term for this item. I own / operate an older Clark 720 OS R/T crane - Roughly late 1970's model. Everything is basic / manual on this thing - no computers. For precise raising / lowering of the load I sometimes find it hard to know where the point is where the cable just starts to creep in or out just a bit. Best I can do is go by watching the cable and / or listening to the winch but this isn't always the best. I'm looking for some kind of in cab load line movement indicator. I remember seeing one on an old critter I looked at years ago. IIRC it was a 2 - 3 " diameter star wheel mounted in the cab in the operator's line of sight. As cable was played in or out, the star wheel rotated. I think the load line ran between a couple of small wheels which in turn drove something like an old style speedometer cable. Anyone here know the proper name for this thing or where I might be able to find one ? Thanks in advance.
Used to just paint stripes on the cable, lol... the device you describe sounds like a good idea, you could probably whip one up pretty easy.
Thanks for your reply; Yes, I thought I might have to make up something myself. Always easier though if you can find something that's manufactured vs. building a "one off".
I think drum rotation indicator is the proper term. I priced one a while back and I think it was around $1600. I've wondered how some mirrors would work. Mount one on the hoist and one in the cab and you could watch the hoist spin. If I get around to that I'll let you know how it work. Don't hold your breath tho.
That machine is hard to see the drum for any purpose. For around a hundred dollars you might mount an after market backup camera pointed at the paint striped drum( you need to paint it) from the side with a contrast line on the non moving surface beyound the drum. Mount the monitor on the dash in a handy spot. Seems to me it should work. Will make it easy to see if the cable lays right also.
Knepptune's mirror idea would work good . Two of our cranes have the mechanical wheel driven flex cable rotation indicators that mount to the winch control lever . Can rest your finger or thumb on the indicator knob during operation . Some would even make a "clicking " sound as they turned . My third unit does not have the indicator option . As cuslog mentioned I can listen to the engine & winch while watching the cable and pretty much tell when the drum starts to move . When it gets to a critical point I just look back over my shoulder & watch the drum . I'm sure a guy could fabricate up a mechanical drive indicator pretty easy . This is what the Grove parts look like .
I like the camera idea old-iron-habit .
Hey, thanks very much for taking the time / trouble to dig out a drawing for me (and posting it too). Wow, $1,600 is a bit rich for me. At that price, I might go into business making those things. Seriously though, from that drawing, I'm sure I could make one of those. The mirror and camera are both good ideas too -- to get a look to be sure the cable isn't snarled -- I snarled my cable once last winter, trying to "high speed" cable down with things still cold / stiff in the morning and not enough weight on the hook. Yes, I've looked back over my shoulder at times too but its a bit awkward and it takes your eyes away from the load -- and in a critical situation that may not be the best choice. Camera: I might need a "big screen" -- I can't need to put my reading glasses on to see the back-up camera on my wife's Rav-4 very well.
I have never seen one of the mechanical ones. Every one I've worked on was all electrical. Camera never crossed my mind but I could see that working pretty well.
My Bantams both have handholes in the side of the cab so you can reach out and feel the cable with your hand. I like the cameras though, we have some newer Linkbelts with them and they are nice to keep an on the cable and to make sure they the rope is laying right. You might be able to find a rotation indicator at a junkyard that has cranes and retrofit it to your crane.
Yair . . . I have mentioned this before but it may be useful for some applications. All my crane work was very basic picks . . . mostly lifting equipment in and out of boats, crane up on the wharf, boat bobbing on the tide . . . a Cat 3412 was pushing the old Chamberlain to the limit. The controls on the old girl were non too subtle and to solve the problem being dealt with in this thread we used a twenty ton chain block between the crane hook and the load and the guys down in the boat doing the installation could do their own fine adjustments. Worked a treat for us back then and I have met up with a few of our old fitters over the years and they still do it even with modern hired in cranes. Cheers.
New to forum, I picked up a 12v wireless camera and monitor marketed for keeping watch on livestock in a trailer. Weatherproof and night vision. Worked extremely well for watching cable rotation/cable lay. $500+ -