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I acquired this Tactical & Rescue Gear (T&RG) descender from Charles Barchuk in 2002.
The T&RG is made from three pieces of milled anodized aluminum - body, control lever, and front plate - and several minor stainless steel components. The body is made from 19.4 mm. aluminum milled to a tall irregular shape. The lower portion of the body has a subtriangular eye that can accept a single carabiner. The edges of the eye are rounded with a 3.5 mm. radius. This small radius leaves one with the impression that the eye is somewhat "blocky," but not to the extent as the eye on the SALS Rappeller. The main portion of the body has a 16 mm. deep milled cutout for the rope path and lever assembly. The upper "chimney" portion has four milled bollards on 27.8 mm. centers, with a 15.5 to 16 mm. rope channel around each. From top to bottom, the bollards are 12.2, 12.0, 11.0 and 11.2 mm. in diameter. The top two bollards are circular so the rope can pass on either side of each (four possible combinations), but the lower two have fences that force one to run the rope around the lower bollards. Below the lowest bollard, the rope follows an "S" shaped path around a non-circular projection on the control lever and a 12 mm. diameter corner milled into the frame. The rope then leaves the left side of the T&RG at a 90° angle.
The control lever and front plate pivot on an 8(?)-mm stainless steel bolt. The control end extends upward along the right side of the chimney. This end has a rounded-square cross section with five wide, shallow finger-grooves on the outer side. A small hole near the top end probably served as an alignment hole for machining. The working end of the lever has two projections. The rope runs around the upper one as mentioned in the preceding paragraph. Squeezing the lever against the handle causes this projection to force the rope against a curved cutout milled in the frame. During use, the rope friction against the upper projection will cause the lever to open.When this happens, a concave surface in the lower projection forces the rope against the 12 mm. corner. The inside surface of the cover plate is milled to a depth of 2.5 mm. to match the milling on the body. the edges of the cover milling are beveled.
The front plate covers the rope channel and working end of the lever. Four slots in the cover and four more in the back of the frame allow mud to escape. There is a small slot at the top left-hand corner of the cover that engages a hex socket-head cap set in the frame. This screw was so loose that I had to epoxy it in place to prevent losing it. Three holes drilled through cover plate align with holes centered in the top three bollards, and a fourth hole aligns with a hole at the center of the 12 mm corner. Any of these accept a 4.8 mm. diameter push pin to keep the front plate closed during use. The pin is attached to a tab on the pivot bolt by a stainless steel cable and a large split ring. A fifth hole near the left-hand base of the chimney aligns with a spring-loaded round-tipped pin in the frame. A hex-head cap screw in the back of the frame holds the pin and spring in place. The pin automatically engages when the cover is closed. To release it, one needs a small sharp object to depress the pin (the push pin works for this task).
The back of the frame is marked with "Tactical and Rescue Gear," the U.S.A. phone number "800-561-7612," and the URL "www.TRGear.com."
The T&RG is a nicely-made lever box that provides the ability to vary friction by changing the number of top bollards in use; however, the decision must be made before starting the descent. Lock off is positive on the ropes that I tried, and the long control lever makes controlling rather easy.
Be careful not to let the cover try to close from the wrong side. When this happens, the spring-loaded pin engages the milled cutouts on the inside of the cover, where it can be difficult to release.
The T&RG is clearly related to the Omer 1, but there are many small differences. The most significant external differences are the eye on the T&RG replaces the quick-release swivel fitting on the Omer 1, the T&RG provides a push-pin for securely closing the cover and for releasing the spring-loaded pin, and the Omer 1 is painted while the T&RG is anodized. The following false-color image shows the internal differences. The Omer 1 has five bollards while the T&RG has four. Only one of the Omer 1 bollards has a fence, so there are sixteen ways to rig the Omer 1 versus four for the T&RG (not that this matters much). There are minor differences in the control lever and rope channel shapes. Most significantly, the T&RG will handle 11 mm. rope while the Omer 1 will only accept 9 mm. line - yet the T&RG weighs less than 60% of the Omer 1's weight.
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I acquired this TRG descender from Aric Schoonover in 2006.
Version B is essentially the same size and shape as version A. The differences are as follows:
- The body cutout is 15.5 mm. deep.
- The rounded edges on the body and handle of Version B are somewhat larger than the corresponding ones on Version A, and they blend better with the rear surface of the body.
- The anodized finish is glossy rather than flat.
- The handle on Version B pivots on a 3/8-in x 1-in hex cap headed axle bolt with a 5/16-18 UNC thread. A common hex nut holds it in place.
- There is no teardrop or cable to hold the upper push pin.
- There is no rear spring-loaded round-tipped pin or associated cap screw.
- There is no hex socket-head cap set in the frame to engage the small slot at the top left-hand corner of the cover.
I imagine that most of the missing pieces in version 2 originally existed but disappeared.
[ Top | Version A | Version B | Return to Lever Boxes ]
I acquired this TRG descender from Aric Schoonover in 2006.
Version C is essentially the same size and shape as version A. The differences are as follows:
- First of all, Version C is designed for 9 mm. rope, not 11 mm rope, so the dimensions are not the same. For example:
- The body cutout is 13.5 mm. deep.
- The upper "chimney" portion bollards lie on 24 mm centers
- From top to bottom, the bollards are 12.5, 12.5, 12.5 and 14.7 mm. in diameter.
- There is less clearance between the projections on the control leaver and the corresponding points on the body.
- The chimney is narrower and shorter.
- The control leaver is shorter
- The lower part of the body is larger.
- The third bollard lacks a fence.
- The rounded edges on the body and handle of Version B are somewhat larger than the corresponding ones on Version A, and they blend better with the rear surface of the body.
- The internal edges of the eye are not rounded.
- The anodized finish is glossy rather than flat.
- There is no teardrop or cable to hold the upper push pin.
- There rear spring-loaded round-tipped pin is held by a set screw. The spring is missing
- There is a clevis with an attached rotating eye attached to the body eye.
- There are no words marked on the back of the frame other than "TRG 9-105," and this appears to have been added by a previous owner, not the factory.
I do not know if the lower clevis and rotating eye are original equipment or not.
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©2007, Gary D. Storrick