--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: wa4dou@juno.com
To: JSheinb785@aol.com
Cc: K7LXC@aol.com,kg6ar@pacbell.net
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 1999 17:40:27 -0500
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] TOWER SELECTION
Message-ID: <19991123.174031.-1007297.0.wa4dou@juno.com>
Hello Joe and TowerTalkians!
Yes, i'm sure that it is very convenient to work on or change or
modify antennas at or near ground level. But, that convenience
is not without its price.
Earlier this year, when i was considering tower selection, i initially
thought seriously about a crank up or crank up/tilt over. In no case
did i see any info on them that suggested they were good for antenna
loads in over 50 mph wind. That fact led me to the inexcapable con-
clusion that they require cranking up and down for every use.
I called up a buddy of mine in western N.C., who has an 80 or 90 ft.
US Tower and he told me that his (with 2 M2 9 element 6 meter yagis
on it) was presently in the "collapsed down and bent" stage. He says
its 2 or 3 yrs old and had had to have its manual hand crank system
replaced after 1 yr., because of trouble. Now he had trouble 1 or 2 yrs.
later. He also told me that it took him 15 mins of handcranking to put
it up or down. Motorizing it would have been very convenient, albeit,
expensive, i'm sure. This was consistent with what i've read and heard
about crank up towers, all my life. My friend only put his up and down
occasionally, yet experienced trouble, even serious trouble in such a
short time, relatively speaking.
Where i live, in eastern N.C., about 100 miles from the coast, we are
subject to hurricanes and i've personally experienced them to gusts of
108 mph ,within the past few years. Furthermore, we have 100 or more
"electrical storms" every year, and these are frequently preceeded by
sudden drops in temperature and wind velocities of 60 and 70 mph ,
sometimes even more. I decided that, as attractive as the concept was,
of being able to crank it up and down ,and even possibly being able to
tilt it over, the possibility of loss was too great.
Understand that i made that decision, even though the thought of having
to climb a tower at age 52, was even more frightning. As a teenager,
growing up on the coast of N.C., i distinctly remember when Carolina
Telephone and Telegraph built a 240 ft. microwave tower in Morehead
City in 1961. The night the paint was dry on the tower, i climbed it to
the
top and saw the lights of New Bern, 40 miles away. (i also used to climb
up on my parents house and string up antennas and modify and/or change
them when i was 9-15 or 16 y.o. and occasionally i would tumble off and
get the breath knocked out of me, then go back up). As a much older, and
hopefully wiser person, i'm scared to climb anymore( or was).
I ruled out the crank up/crank up/tilt over concept and decided that i
must
learn to climb and develop trust in a "guyed" tower. As of 2 weeks ago,
my
52 ft. flattop Rohn 25G guyed tower is up and in place. I laid it out,
rented a
"terramite" and dug the holes, had the concrete poured, and let it "cure"
for
2 months. I built the entire tower myself, with the exception that i did
ask my
wife to help me pull up one section and a neighbor to help me pull up
another
before i went up and placed and secured it. I am proud of having done it.
Along the way i went from "weak kneed" and very apprehensive to trusting
and feel no or very little
apprehension when i climb it now. Yes, it feels like you're half way to
the moon,
when you're up there, but it feels stable, inspires confidence and is
capable
of withstanding winds that exceed 110 mph.
That is why i chose a "guyed tower."
Thanks guys, 73 Roy Lincoln WA4DOU
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-----------------------------------
On Mon, 22 Nov 1999 22:44:29 EST JSheinb785@aol.com writes:
>
> But it surely is convenient not to have to climb all the way up to
> work on or
> install antennas & rotators. I just yesterday had 3 friends over &
> installed
> a new HyGain 204BAS (4 el. monobander) on my HDX555 US tower while
> it was
> retracted to the 22 ft level. We used a 24 ft extension ladder &
> didn't have
> to get on the tower at all.
> Freight on my tower from Visalia to Corpus Christi was about
> $215.00, and it d
> id cost me$150 to have a truck mounted crane to unload it (1000
> lb.), but, I
> love the tower!
> It could have been unloaded a lot cheaper with a few hams, an "A"
> frame &
> chain hoist.
> 73,
> Joe WD5FHG
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