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Re: [TowerTalk] Need help buying first tower

To: Brian Amos <bamos1@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Need help buying first tower
From: Phil G via TowerTalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
Reply-to: Phil G <thirdtrumpet@rocketmail.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2021 15:09:47 -0400
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Ross,
I recommend that you pay  close attention to Brian. Tons of wisdom in his post!
Phil, W4NGU

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 13, 2021, at 8:27 AM, Brian Amos <bamos1@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Ross,
> 
> I see from your signature that you are associated with ASU. There are some
> great resources around the Phoenix area. The ham clubs would be a great
> resource (there are several) as well as HRO, which is not far off the I-17
> in Phoenix. When I was at ASU there was a ham club on campus as well. If it
> were me, I’d get into the commuter net in the morning and let them know
> what you want to do. You’ll get tons of help.
> 
> As a civil engineer, I am involved with quite a few tower installs every
> year. I definitely would not get a hand me down tower. Not for a school. I
> also wouldn’t install a tower that could be easily climbed. My kids would
> be the first ones up to the top. I had to make it really hard to climb my
> tower to keep them off. Kids are natural climbers and always want to be
> high up, and rarely understand the dangers. I would go with a monopole. You
> may need to find a cell tower installer for that. Your best bet may not be
> a tower at all, but a wire and/or beam install on the roof of the building.
> 
> The science center in downtown Phoenix has a ham station inside it, with a
> beam on the roof. You may go that route, as you will get elevation and
> safety. You’d have more radio budget as well, if you don’t spend 20k on a
> tower.
> 
> Fee free to contact me off list if you have more questions.
> 
> Brian
> KF7OVD
> 
>> On Sunday, April 11, 2021, Ross Tucker <rjtucke@gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Hello all!
>> 
>> I have been offered a position at my high school to teach ham radio as a
>> class. The administration also said that they would be willing to have a
>> tower installed! The one problem is that I have zero experience with real
>> towers. I was wondering if one or more of you might be willing to
>> correspond with me to walk me through the whole process.
>> 
>> To be honest, I don't even know what I need. The absolute #1 constraint is
>> that it must be over-engineered for safety - if anything falls and damages
>> school property during monsoon season, I will be extremely fired. XD
>> Low-maintenance is also important, as I'm a busy teacher with a small child
>> at home. Height needs to be at least 20 or 30' to get above the nearby
>> buildings. Self-supporting (no guy wires) is also necessary. As for
>> antennas, since the station will only be operated during school hours, I
>> was thinking of just a mono-band 20 m beam for HF and a 2m/70cm vertical
>> for local repeaters. Finally, in the future, I'd like to install a
>> satellite array on a shorter mast, nearby.
>> 
>> Would anybody be willing to mentor me through this process?
>> 
>> Thank you for your time-
>> Ross Tucker, PhD, NS7F
>> Arizona State University / Herberger Young Scholars Academy
>> _______________________________________________
>> 
>> 
>> 
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