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Re: [TowerTalk] Free standing tower advice needed

To: "N2TK, Tony" <tony.kaz@verizon.net>,"Towertalk (E-mail)" <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Free standing tower advice needed
From: <ersmar@comcast.net>
Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2006 16:17:01 -0500
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Tony:

     We used commercial Trylon self-supporting towers for ALL of our cell 
sites on a project I worked on in Haiti.  I believe they are all still 
standing after fours hurricane seasons.  These monsters had a ground-level 
dimension of about 25 feet square.

     But assuming you don't wish to pay commercial prices, the Trylon T-500 
series might work, but it depends.  You'd have to do the math to determine 
if the planned 40M Yagi represents an excessive wind load for the structure. 
You can use the tool at http://www.trylon.com/lightdutytowers/towercalc.asp 
and give it a try.  My guess is that the T-400 series of Trylon Titans will 
be undersized for the loading from the wind on a 402CD, but that's just my 
guess.  Use the tool for a more rigorous analysis.  You might even look at a 
64-foot T-600 series for a bit more load capability at a lower height.

     Trylon also sell rock bolts for their Titan series of towers.  These 
things are, I believe, five feet long and are epoxied into place.  They also 
sell side mounts for things like microwave dishes and - maybe - side-mounted 
Yagis, as well as safety rails, work platforms, etc.

     As you might recall, I built a T-500-64 in my back yard in 2001 and, 
given an opportunity, I would select Trylon for another SS here.  I had it 
shipped to me knocked down to save a few $ on shipping.  When it arrived, 
all the pieces and hardware were strapped onto a pallet five feet square. 
Height of the package was about a foot.  Pretty small (900+ lbs, though.) 
Constructing it wasn't all that difficult.  I managed to build the entire 
thing myself, stick-building the upper sections as I hauled up the pieces on 
ropes.  And it's still up in the air today, in the presence of 50 mph winds 
here in the DC area today.

73 de
Gene Smar  AD3F


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "N2TK, Tony" <tony.kaz@verizon.net>
To: "Towertalk (E-mail)" <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 3:44 PM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Free standing tower advice needed


> We have an opportunity at WP2Z to put up another tower. The owner of the
> house would like it to be free standing. We would like to put up a 70' 
> tower
> so we could raise the height of the 40M beam (Cushcraft 402CD is presently
> at 35'). Also it would give us a higher support for 80 and 160M wire
> antennas. The only experience I have had with free standing towers is the
> 35' aluminum Universal tower that is holding a C3E. It used to be 45' high
> till a hurricane several years ago came along and ripped off the top 10'
> along with the tribander and rotor and proceeded to deposit it in small
> pieces a few hundred yards away.
> WP2Z is at 900' - one of the highest points on the island. And we are on
> solid rock. So it will be fun to get a base dug. This QTH gets high winds 
> a
> lot. We have trouble keeping any kind of tribander on the one tower due to
> the high updraft that occurs almost every night. The new tower will be 
> about
> 100' away where the updraft doesn't typically occur.
>
> Besides the 40M beam at the top and some low band wires I would like to
> sidemount a couple tribanders - one fixed on US/Asia and one fixed on
> Europe. We would continue to use a rotating tribander on one of the other
> towers.
>
> My questions to the group are:
> - Am I foolish to try to put up a 70' free standing tower at such a
> location?
> - If not what's recommended for this kind of environment especially being 
> so
> close to salt water? I was looking at Universal Towers HD21-70, Trylon
> T500-72, T400-72, AN Wireless HD-70. Are these overkill or fine or
> substandard?
>
> I realize that during a hurricane all bets are off no matter what we can 
> put
> up that is reasonable.
>
> Tnx for any feedback. Trying to upgrade the contest station there to help
> especially with our low band signal. Having both towers at only 35' is not
> the best. Glad the owner is receptive to a new tower.
>
> 73,
> N2TK, Tony
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
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