Jim said that there are people who cannot afford to put a beam on a
properly engineered tower, implying that if you can't afford to put one
on a properly engineered tower, it's OK to put one a tower that is not
properly engineered -- or one whose credentials are uncertain.
I have friends -- fellow hams -- who say, "You're going to put 6 1/2
yds. of concrete in a base for a tower!? Whoever designed that
foundation must be crazy. Engineers are a bunch of idiots. Forget the
drawings and just dig a hole and put 3 yds. in. It'll be fine."
73
Alan NV8A
On 08/18/06 02:43 pm ve4xt@mts.net wrote:
> I don't think careening from one extreme to the other helps the discussion
> at all.
>
> There are plenty of sturdy, capable tower installations made from decent
> used pieces that don't cost an arm and a leg. You do not need to buy a
> new tower to have a good tower, any more than you need to buy a new car
> to get a good one.
>
> Don't confuse resourcefulness with carelessness. The two need not be
> synonymous.
>>>> Two words come to mind:
>>>> Resourceful
>>>> Thrifty
>>> Yes. And not all hams have spare cash laying around. For many, it is
>>> a stretch to own one decent radio. The cost of a beam on a properly
>>> engineered tower could put a child through a year at some colleges!
>> So if you can't afford to put up a beam on a properly engineered tower,
>> don't put put up a beam. Don't put up used rusty stuff using half as
>> much concrete and a quarter as much rebar as the manufacturer
> recommends.
>> Maybe the "cheap" installation will stay up; maybe it won't. But if my
>> tower falls down and injures or kills someone -- or even only does
>> serious property damage -- I don't want to be the one in court trying to
>> explain why I didn't do the job right.
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