Check out
http://ab7e.com/AB7E_Tower_Page_8.html
http://ab7e.com/AB7E_Tower_Page_11.html
http://ab7e.com/AB7E_Tower_Page_15.html
Exterior grade latex paint sticks well to hot dipped galvanized steel.
The application you see on those pages was done seven years ago and is
still in excellent shape here at 5000 feet ASL here in southern Arizona
(LOTS of UV exposure).
Flat paints are best.
Dark colors are best. Just look at various structures around you,
especially at a distance. In general, dark objects are the least
objectionable or even noticeable. Don't try to match the blue sky with
a light blue color on the tower ... that's a rookie mistake that I once
made in my youth with quad spreaders.
Mottled colors are best. Try to break up geometric shapes by applying
colors in more or less random shapes and sizes. Try to match the size
of the blobs of colors to the general size and shape of whatever is in
the surrounding area. I used streaks and sections of dark green, light
brown, and black to try to match the tree foliage, grass (which is dry
here most of the year), and shadows on the hillside behind my tower.
Don't make the color blobs too small or they will just blend in from a
distance and destroy the goal of altering the geometric shape of the tower.
I've gotten many compliments from neighbors who say they never even
notice my tower since it isn't outlined against the sky from below and
doesn't stand out against the hillside behind me. I've even had ham
friends visit who weren't able to spot my tower until they got close
enough to see it against the sky.
By the way, I also painted my Optibeam antennas with similar colors,
although I used spray paint for that and it hasn't held up as well.
Before I did, though, I modeled the antennas in EZNEC+ with and without
a thin dielectric on the elements to make sure there wasn't any shift in
parameters. Once the antennas were up, the SWR and pattern plots
matched what I had been given by Optibeam so I'm reasonably confident
that the paint doesn't affect anything. It's not easy to get paint of
any sort to stick to bare aluminum, though, so that part gets kind of dicey.
Check out the first picture on this page ... it shows the tower with two
large antennas on it. Most people would have a hard time even finding
it unless they knew what they were looking for. The situation would be
different without the hillside for a backdrop, of course, but I still
think that the dark colors are mitigation on visual impact.
http://ab7e.com/AB7E_Antenna_Page_5.html
Hope some of this helps.
73,
Dave AB7E
On 4/21/2015 4:52 PM, Fred Kleber wrote:
Hi List,
Does anyone have before & after photos of lattice towers that have been painted
to 'match' the background of terrain / trees behind them? If so, could you please
send me a 'before' and 'after' photo, as well as the type of paint you used? Any
other comments, suggestions, ideas, etc. you have would be also appreciated.
Thanks & Very 73,Fred, K9VV
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