Hi guys,
with regards to the distance of the pay off to the first draw block, the comments from Eduardo is correct.
However, if you are trying to minimise rod tangling then you need to do a couple of things.
1) ensure you have adequate backtension from the horizontal boom, mainly a flipper type works well.
2) we have found that a distance of about 15 meters works well, from the first block to the end of the horizontal boom, that the rod is paying off from.The greater the distance the better the pay off.
3) Ensure that you install a trip bar before the snarl pole. This will ensure that if you get tangles that the rod will hit the trip bar and straigthen it self out.
If this fails then try a vertical pay off system, these work really well, as the company I work for have now done this to most of our nmachines.
Hope this works for you.
Regards
Jack