Author: Patrick Greenlee <patrick_g@windstream.net>
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 07:51:08 -0500
I have both the standard size hand riveter and the pneumatic. There is a time and place for both. Once upon a time I worked on a contract on the Army National Training Center at Ft. Irwin (war gaming
Author: Patrick Greenlee <patrick_g@windstream.net>
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 08:20:59 -0500
I have a demo hammer that uses 3/4 inch hex bits. It is a handful but much smaller and it would not be very effective in driving ground rods. A couple things: The COTS (Store bought) ground rod drive
Author: Patrick Greenlee <patrick_g@windstream.net>
Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 12:45:09 -0500
Another consideration is to leave the existing base in place and excavate a new hole next to it. Then drill and dowel into the old with rebar to add/bond the old to the new. If you don't fully trust
Author: Patrick Greenlee <patrick_g@windstream.net>
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 07:11:48 -0500
Yep, widely available but not created equal. Price varies by greater than a factor of two and does not correlate with quality, at least in my personal experience. I have standardized on pairs of flat
Author: Patrick Greenlee <patrick_g@windstream.net>
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 10:02:36 -0500
You may note the many comments regarding successful use of the 4 pin trailer connectors in pairs for 8 conductor cables. I noticed NO negative comments regarding their actual use. I personally solder
Author: Patrick Greenlee <patrick_g@windstream.net>
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 13:47:39 -0500
Maybe I should have issued a warning re the silicone with vinegar smell (acetic acid) as it is corrosive. I guess I thought we all knew that. Way back when I repaired an aquarium with the RTV silicon
Author: Patrick Greenlee <patrick_g@windstream.net>
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 14:41:34 -0500
Sorry but we are back ordered on magic smoke and are substituting FEMA approved survival supplies as long as the supply lasts. 2 each 16 oz cans of dehydrated purified water. So simple to reconstitut
Author: Patrick Greenlee <patrick_g@windstream.net>
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 07:40:34 -0500
In my part of the world mud daubers would add pounds of red clay if wasps didn't build a nest first. Tower work is dangerous enough without adding wasps upset by your presence/activities. YMMV but wh
Author: Patrick Greenlee <patrick_g@windstream.net>
Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2014 10:14:35 -0500
Not everything is best selected through statistics. There is no downside to caps with drains, stainless steel wool is also good, Wood plugs from scraps of pressure treated wood or well protected with
Author: Patrick Greenlee <patrick_g@windstream.net>
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 06:32:25 -0500
I turned 71 a couple days ago. I am in the middle of a couple tower projects, one crank up and tilt over and one tilt over. I have a Hy-Gain Hy-Tower atop a barn. I fell off the barn in a "ladder acc
Author: Patrick Greenlee <patrick_g@windstream.net>
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 09:23:25 -0500
Did you mean wits? You can't have a battle of whits with an unarmed person. Give it up. 73 Dave n4zkf -- ORIGINAL MESSAGE --(may be snipped) I am saying that if you are incapable of free climbing, st
Author: Patrick Greenlee <patrick_g@windstream.net>
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 09:53:47 -0500
My niece used to teach free climbing (mountains, not towers) She got married and has a daughter and in her words was lucky to live through her manifest stupid phase, never to be missed or repeated. M
Author: Patrick Greenlee <patrick_g@windstream.net>
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 11:20:52 -0500
Thanks for taking the time to share such a complete narrative of your good practice. I am trying to design the install of 3 towers (one finished, one in progress and one waiting) so as to not require
Author: Patrick Greenlee <patrick_g@windstream.net>
Date: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 19:45:47 -0500
My hex hex beam, 6 band hex beam, hence hex hex, weighs 25 lbs and is nearly symmetrical with respect to torque due to imbalanced windage. A decently heavy duty TV rotor will git 'er done. If you liv
Author: Patrick Greenlee <patrick_g@windstream.net>
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 08:33:34 -0500
...and then there is the guy who always crosses the street mid-block and never looks either way for traffic figuring he is agile and quick and can dodge. Because you usually can "get away" with somet
The monofilament is quite light weight so use two strands. Tie a slipknot at the copter and keep track of which line releases the knot. To release the copter from the line, gently take a little tensi
Norm, Bill is right but hasn't dropped the other shoe yet. Will some mechanical engineer type please tell us which direction of lean is strongest in a triangular tower with X-braces or the typical zi
We talk about guyed towers and their minimal needs for big heavy bases vs. free standing towers with enormous bases. I follow these arguments and basically agree with the "standard" prescriptions but
Can someone supply an executive summary? What about the case when you have a crank-up/tilt-over tower made to be free standing but you guy the bottom section and reduce the size/weight of the steel r
Roger, Thank you so much for your succinct reply that eschewed the terms compression, tension, shear, and column. Stan, your call says it well "GO!" I have a two section crank-up tower of unknown ori