The Binford Model 5000 MegaWinch

A nitch area of ham radio that I enjoy very much is erecting and taking down towers and the associated antennas. I enjoy the mechanical challenges, the satisfaction of designing various rigging and apparatus, and climbing and working safely. I have built most of my own equipment and rigging. I designed and built the winch to help with the heavy lifts. For safety, there is no integral motor drive. The winch is intended to be driven manually by a conventional ratchet wrench or electrically by a hand held drill. When a ground crew lifts a load manually, they receive constant feedback in the tension of the rope. An increase in tension immediately signals that the rope is binding in a pulley or the load is snagging the tower. There is no feedback to the operator of a conventional motor driven winch. The first indication of trouble may be a broken cable or collapsed tower. The operator of the Mega Winch will feel the increased torque in the wrench or hand held drill should the cable or load bind.