Wrapped Flags Need Help

[polizei]

Hi everyone, first post here. I've wanted a flagpole for a while now and just finally got one.

I installed a 25' aluminum 1-piece pole with a standard truck. I raised my US flag to ~6" below the truck and also mounted my Marine Corps flag ~6" apart from the US flag. The US flag is 4x6 and the USMC flag is 3x5.

The winds here in Ohio are every changing and I've found out the hard way that my flags seem to wrapping (furling?) around the pole quite a bit. Is there anything I can do to solve this issue?

I saw that I could buy a rotating truck but is that going to solve my issue? Wouldn't the rope just get tangled up then? And I really don't want to lift a 25' pole back out of the hole lol!

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j9...1/Flagpole.jpg

[wild-bill]

Hi. Welcome to the forums. I recently posted the same question without a response. I found a good deal on a used revolving truck on Ebay. So in about a week or 2, I'll have an answer for you. The pole it's going on is a 23' tall homemade pole made of 1.5" galvenized metal electrical conduit.

[american_flag_uk]

Hey there

I don't know of any other way to solve the problem other than the revolving truck...
Because of how the wind works the flag should have much less chance of wrapping itself around the pole... as for it in turn twisting the halyard rope around the pole as the flag turns around, that is unlikely to happen unles the wind changes diction that much, in the same direction (ie clockwise)
Hope that helps

[Robin Hickman]

.
As far as I know, a revolving truck will allow the Flag to fly free without furling ONLY as far as the halyard will allow it to. A "tight" (taut) halyard will not allow very much "revolving", while a "loose" halyard will (to a point).

The only solution that I've seen (but NOT used) is an internal halyard and revolving truck assembly. Since the halyard is on the inside of the flagpole it will be much less likely to "foul" up things. But even then, the internal halyard could wrap around itself too many times and become virtually un-usable (I think). Having never having to mess with one, I don't know for sure.

I would assume that after centuries of flag flying and having flags furl on their own flagpoles, that some inventive person(s) would have invented some way of overcoming the problem!

Hmmmm..... Maybe mount the whole flagpole on a revolving base set on ball bearings ???

The Flags I'm used to flying are securely mounted (screws through the grommets) on wood poles and they are usually up only for one day at a time. While there are some minor furling problems during a day-long flying period, I don't remember any that were too terribly catastrophic.


Good Luck !!!



Robin Hickman
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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[wild-bill]

I got the pole and revolving truck up today. I can say it helps somewhat. But if the wind changes direction drastically, like 180 degrees, the flag can get hung up on the pole until the wind calms. I'd say it's a partial cure for the problem. But the best part is the pulley almost always points the same direction as the flag. That makes for better looking photos. Here's my 5X8' Texas flag.

[Robin Hickman]

.

Looking Good, Wild-Bill, Looking GOOD !!! ..



Robin "Flagpole Envy" Hickman
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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[TrueBrit65]

I have a Never-Furl device in use on a flag pole which is at an angle on a wall.
The flag still wraps around the pole most of the time, I've moved the bushes to all different positions on the pole to see if it improved to no avail. Does anyone use never-furl which actually works? it is frustating when the product states it is supposed to eliminate this problem, any ideas would be welcomed.

[gene so]

Hello Folks,

We are at 6,500 feet with a 55 foot flagpole, which needed to by guy-wired off to withstand the breezes here at the end of the Rocky Mountains. Having the flags wrap around the pole several times in a day with switching winds forced me to use a "tether ball" approach to unwrap the lines since I had to go around all the guy wires several times. ONCE!

I have solved the problem by running up the top snap hook for my top flag right up against the aluminum wheel in my revolving truck. The line keeps it taut by proper tension on the cleat at the base. This allows the revolving truck to do its work- to a degree- greatly reducing the twisting around the flagpole. Thus in the evening the flags are either in line with the cleat or at best, wrapped around once. By taking the line away from the flagpole, and starting to lower the flags, they unwrap themselves before they get to the level of the guy wires, and this frustrating problem has disappeared once I ran the top flag as high as I could, and kept it here.

Gene So