Version A	Version B

Overview

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Version A
(#1755)

Front	Rear	Open for Rigging

Technical Details

I acquired my Hugh Banner, Version A from Tom Furey in 2012.

My Hugh Banner, Version A is 72 mm. long, 98 mm. wide, 49 mm. high, and weighs 207 g.

The Hugh Banner looks and functions like a Type 1 Lever Cam Ascenders, but it is marketed as a rope grab. The frame is milled from aluminum (much like the Rock Exotica ascenders) The flat-based rope channel is 14.4 mm. wide. The right side has a raised mound that houses a spring-loaded pin that holds the axle in place. A small button threaded onto a side piece into the pin lets one retract the pin.

The cam has 12 rounded teeth. The teeth are very shallow - only about 0.25 mm. deep. The cam rides on a 10 mm. diameter stainless steel axle that is held in place by a 1.3 mm. cable keeper pinned to the frame. The end of the pin is tapered so that the restraining pin does not need to be manually retracted when assembling the Arrestor.

The left side of the frame is stamped with "HB WALES," a cam logo (matching the cam on the PMI Arrestor, not the cam on the Hugh Banner), an arrowhead with "UP" nearby, "ANSI 2359.11992(R1999)10.5-12.7mmØ," "CE0086," and "EN 353-2 10.5-11mmØ." The spine of the frame is stamped with "N162" and the "reading is dangerous" icon.

Comments

The button for retracting the axle retaining pin is small and rounded, so it is difficult to operate with gloves or muddy hands.

The teeth on the cam are so shallow that the cam functions almost as if there were no teeth at all.

The Hugh Banner, Version A is essentially identical to the PMI Progressor.

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Version B
(#1760)

Front View	Rear View	Open for Rigging

Technical Details

I acquired my Hugh Banner, Version B from Tom Furey in 2012.

Version B is 72 mm. long, 98 mm. wide, 45 mm. high, and weighs 204 g. The only functional difference between Versions B and A is that the axle for Version B is threaded on both ends, and held in place by stainless steel nuts. The frame is not milled and drilled for a retaining pin, since none is needed.

The left side of the frame is stamped with "THE EDGE," a cam logo (matching the cam on the PMI Arrestor, not the cam on the Hugh Banner), an arrowhead with "UP" nearby, "ANSI 2359.11992(R1999)10.5-12.7mmØ," "CE0086," and "EN 353-2 10.5-11mmØ." The spine of the frame is stamped with "LEADING EDGE SUPPLIES," the "reading is dangerous" icon, and "M9261."

Comments

Tom thought this was a prototype of Version A, but I am not so sure. Considering the similarities between the two Hugh Banner versions and the PMI Progressor and PMI Arrestor, I think this is a production version. The markings indicate that it might have been made for another company (Leading Edge Supplies).

The bolt holding this version together makes it difficult to put it on rope unless one either carries special tools or has the end of the rope available. Presumably this is to allow companies to hire people who are not smart enough to assemble Version A.

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