Yes, perhaps my view is somewhat simplistic and speculative. However, there is a lot of info out there regarding lightning and cosmic rays. For example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_ray and ht
I was puzzled by some of your comments but I think I now understand. The most puzzling was: "And if cosmic rays really did cause enough of an ion trail all the way from the cloud to the ground then t
I have one of these, sold by Sherrill Arborist Supply. It comes in a nice hard plastic case (Air Glide by Plano). We got a lot of laughs with it trying to toss a pull line over a 50 foot tree during
I know they will not fit together. And even if you could force them together, you would not have a structurally sound union. Also, I wouldn't ever try because there are plenty of 55G sections availab
Really? Wonder what the neighbors would say! <grin> 73, Keith NM5G For how long? and does it have to be really UV resistant? Plastic bag, secured with a nylon zip tie or wrap of tape? Piece of rubbe
I posted the photo on my web site for Al: http://www.dutson.net/Transfer/HamRadio/UnknownTower/ 73, Keith NM5G I am a used, guyed, galvanized steel tower that is 48 feet tall. I have three legs space
Posted. Keith, Could you post this second pic, since it seems to me the jury is still out. If not, no problem. I appreciate posting the first pic. Thanks, Al Zelna, N3KAE to at add the the __________
I prefer stacking tribanders at 32 foot separation. Whatever choice is made, there is always going to be a compromise for at least two of the bands. 73, Keith NM5G Greetings, TT'ians. In a conversati
Congratulations on the new tower! First of all, I would put the 240 on top, for less TO angle on 40 meters (better DX performance). Assuming you are using a long mast for the upper antenna. I would g
I will address question 3. elements sag quite a bit more than the Phillystran. The result is that the elements have never even come close to hitting the guys, even in strong winds. My setup? 150 foot
I hoisted a fully charged Milwaukee 1/2 drive cordless drill up the tower and used a new titanium bit. I also took up a spare battery but did not have to use it. 73, Keith NM5G All, I need to pin one
I recommend the Orion 2800 or Yaesu 2800. The latter may be a tad lightweight, but should do fine. If you want overkill, there are larger capacity units from Pro-sis-tel and Alpha-Spid. 73, Keith NM5
What antenna? That is a HUGE amount of gain, especially for 80 and 160. 73, Keith NM5G TowerTalkers, This is probably a redundant question, but I'm going to ask it anyway. I will soon have an antenna
I have a similar situation here where the guys run close to the propane tank and the anchor is about 30 feet from the tank. No problem has been encountered since installation in 1998. Actually I do n
A good galvanizer will first remove all old paint and/or galvanizing, then re-dip with a slow process to prevent any buildup of excess metal. Even so, there is always a chance that a bit of grinding
Also not true. A good galvanizer will sandblast the paint and charge a bit extra for the process. 73, Keith NM5G Not true at all. The sequential baths at the galvanizer's plant include an acid dip th
I think there are several reasons for the hike in copper price, none of which are likely to change much in the near future. One of the biggest players in the market is China. A few months ago I purch
Well said. A friend of mine put up a 40 foot 45G without guys and a tribander on top with rotor. I did not climb it but watched while two other friends did. It was kinda scary just watching, but the
You may not be getting all the facts about Phillystran stretch and tower failure scenarios. My experience is that the stretch has not caused any problem with my installation of a 150 foot 45G tower i
Jerry, Thanks for posting this. Sounds a lot different than the original report of the tower breaking apart for an unknown reason. Guy wire failure due to falling objects has been the cause of many f