In Hawaii where we have normal trade winds that blow between 5 to 30 my LM-470
with a F12 C4XL and a 6m 5 el telrex is nice and stable when fully cranked-up.
When the winds get serious and start blowing gusts to 50 mph plus I like to
sleep real good a night with the tower cranked down and nested to 20 '. My
tower is bracketed to my house and I have a flat roof for easy access and
maintainence to the antennas, the rotor and tower...that makes it real easy to
get to it. My friends here on Oahu have had their self-supporting and guyed
towers come down in 50 to 70 mph gusts ( those are the killers) and most of them
admire my set-up that gets all of the ariel hardware at 20' from ground.
Aloha,
Stu -- WH6H
"Jim White, K4OJ" wrote:
> I think your fooling yourself...
>
> Having seen what Andrew did - NOTHING - no matter how low it is is any less
> likely to become airborne!
>
> I saw the sides of mobile homes wrapped around avocado trees....they were
> low to the ground!
>
> If a hurricane is going to come it is going to come and it is going to level
> anything it wants to, period.
>
> I feel that you are simply kidding yourself thinking that a lowered antenna
> is safer. It is far less safer as far as servicing - it is far less safer
> as far as potential for collapse...
>
> A properly installed fixed tower is like a building - at the top of our 135
> footer (Rohn 55) it is rock solid - as if you are at the ground level. I
> swear you could park a car on it...I suspect the fears of tall fixed towers
> are those of guys who prefer not to climb and not the feelings of those who
> it, especially those who do it for a living...lets hear from some of the
> tower pros logged onto this reflector...
>
> If it gives you a warm fuzzy to think lowering your antenna is better -
> great - but I would be interested to hear the professional response on this
> as far as which type of tower they would rather work on....I think it will
> be the fixed one where there is less to go wrong.
>
> 73,
>
> Jim, K4OJ
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bill Otten" <res0958z@verizon.net>
> To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2002 11:56 AM
> Subject: Re: [Towertalk] CRANK UP TOWERS
>
> > Yes! One of the benefits to having the crank-up /tilt-over tower IS the
> > capability of removing it from harm's way during severe weather. Being a
> > Florida resident (besides being a resident in the Lightning capital of the
> > USA -- we just lost the world title to Rwanda!) we occasionally get a
> major
> > storm. Anyone who thought their tower might survive -- guyed or otherwise
> > during Hurricane Andrew got his hurricane party started a bit too early.
> > Common sense would suggest that if homes, railcars, yachts, buildings,
> > trees, and just about everything else was in danger -- towers might be
> > also?? Having the crank down/tiltover tower tremendously reduces the risk
> > to calamity too -- again, simple common sense. Tilted over, my tower sits
> > lower than the eave of my home and once tilted is supported by the base
> > fixture and the support fixture some 25 feet away. Undeniably, it's MUCH
> > safer that way in severe winds than extended to it's full 60' height with
> 12
> > sq. ft. of antenna!
> >
> > Bill KC9CS
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Paul Christensen" <w9ac@arrl.net>
> > To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
> > Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2002 12:30 pm
> > Subject: Re: [Towertalk] CRANK UP TOWERS
> >
> >
> > > > I got to disagree with you on this one K4RV...
> > > >
> > > > No way is having a crank down and or tiltover better - I would go with
> > the
> > > > guyed tower over and over again - ESPECIALLY AFTER SEEING WHAT ANDREW
> > DID!
> > >
> > > Isn't a major point in owning a crank-up tower that the operator
> > completely or at least partially nests the tower when not actively
> > > operating?
> > >
> > > -Paul, W9AC
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Towertalk mailing list
> > Towertalk@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
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