Gene - thanks for saying this - you put into words what I would have liked
to say much better than I could have. I knew my posting would probably get
comments like Guy's, but still, there are people in the world who actually
NEED this kind of information, so its important that such IS made available,
even with warnings. Gene has been to Haiti and seen this need for himself -
it DOES exist. I have done some travelling too, about 70 countries so far,
most of them '3rd-world'. The guys there don't have the money, the tower
companies or the resource-centres that you have. They are often lacking so
much you (i.e. guys in the US) would be AMAZED - you'll just have to take my
word for this, but it really is true. For instance, I once went to the main
public library in Madras (one of the biggest cities in a country of 1
billion people) for a look-see; the quality and condition of the books there
were so bad that I straight away donated what I had in my back pack - they
were very pleased and tried to arrange a small ceremony which, being a shy
kind of guy, I refused. On the subject of safety, imagine this if you can -
I was once in Pakistan, and saw a blocked main sewer - the manhole cover in
the street had been taken off and the contents (you can imagine this bit !)
were flooding out on to the road. To clear the blockage, a guy stripped down
to his underwear, grabbed the end of a safety rope, and went in head-first -
he was under about 20 seconds. Now, imagine how this problem would be dealt
with in the 'first world' - safety suits, breathing equipment, electronic
blockage-location equipment, etc. etc. - this is the kind of differences
that exist in the world.
Anyway, I'm rambling on a bit. Back to the point. What Guy said is true - a
home-made tower constructed without the right information and tests is a
dangerous item. However, some guys still NEED to do this.... So, I'll offer
a challenge to anyone who wants to help their fellow human-beings in other
parts of the world to be safe and not kill themselves on poorly designed
towers.... Post an article on the Internet telling people how to design and
erect towers safely ! And I will be the first to link to it...
Tim, EI8IC
----- Original Message -----
From: "EUGENE SMAR" <SPELUNK.SUENO@prodigy.net>
Sent: 09 March 2001 03:54
Subject: Re: Fw: [TowerTalk] Tower sled systems?????????????
> TT:
>
> I'm sure Tim is well-intentioned in his wanting to make available for
> other Hams throughout the TT world ideas on fabricating towers from
> locally-available materials. Not every society on the planet has the
> resources and raw materials that are available to us U.S. Hams in nearly
> every village, suburb and city. I think we U.S. hams often lose sight of
> this simple fact of our economic system - we've got a lot of STUFF
available
> for purchase.
>
> For the past three years I've been working on a telecom project in
> Haiti, reputed to be the poorest country in the western hemisphere. On
each
> of my visits to this country I've been amazed by the resourcefulness of
its
> people. The Haitians are able to use available materials to build what
> appear to be comfortable houses and utilitarian commercial buildings.
I've
> seen construction work crews there use numerous slender wooden poles to
> shore up the curing concrete floors of their multi-storied buildings.
I've
> seen bucket brigades of men standing on ladders made of these same poles
and
> thin scraps of wood for rungs, handing up bucket after bucket of
hand-mixed
> cement to their co-workers on the floors above them. And I've seen
Haitian
> carpenters remove the nails from these ladders and supports and carefully
> pound them straight again, for use on another building.
>
> When I read the cautionary notes that my fellow American Hams send to
> the TT many about following the rules and being safe, I applaud the
writers'
> conscientiousness. It certainly is better to be safe than sorry. But I
> also remind myself that, for Hams of many other nationalities, buying
> something factory-made may be out of the question, practically and
> economically. In those cases, something homemade may be the only answer.
>
> 73 de
> Gene Smar AD3F
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Rhodes <rhodes@evertek.net>
> To: Guy Olinger, K2AV <k2av@contesting.com>; Tim Makins, EI8IC
> <ei8ic@eircom.net>; TowerTalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Date: Thursday, March 08, 2001 6:47 PM
> Subject: Re: Fw: [TowerTalk] Tower sled systems?????????????
>
>
> >I know a number of people who are not engineers who have built their own
> >planes, both from kits & home built. They have them inspected along the
> >way and before they fly and every one has worked out OK. I know a number
of
> >people who have built towers for themselves and they are all still with
us.
> >We are not talking about 100+ft towers with stacks of monobanders on
them,
> >but rather 30-40 ft towers with tribanders. Some people are curious
enough
> >to learn as they go. Would I build my own tower? Probably not, I lack
the
> >tools right now. But I would not hesitate to build a small tower by
copying
> >a know design.
> >BTW, ball joints are much more simple than an engine overhaul. And you
> >probably only need one tool - the fork to pull them out. You probably
> >already have the hammer to drive them back in. Alignment I will leave to
> >the pros - They have the tools for that.
> >
> >
> >At 05:32 PM 3/8/01 -0500, Guy Olinger, K2AV wrote:
> >>Homemade towers belongs in the same category as homemade airplanes.
> >>
> >>Since failure can cause loss of life, those who are making such need to
> >>own professional skills the same as those who design and make them
> >>professionally. There ARE those who are qualified. But if you are NOT an
> >>airplane builder or a PE...
> >>
> >>WHY on earth would you put your precious (and ONLY) breakable body up on
> >>something that has never had stress modeling done on it, or whose
> >>structural materials are are not certified to match the materials in
said
> >>stress modeling? Or ... ?
> >>
> >>I have rebuilt three car engines myself, but there are some things I
> >>simply WILL NOT EVER do myself, like ball joints, because of not owning
> >>(or wanting to own) the requisite tools.
> >>
> >>Homemade towers is definitely on my NEVER-EVER list.
> >>
> >>And if you maintain a encyclopedia of same, and the unthinkable occurs
on
> >>one of them actually made, are you not risking being party to a lawsuit,
> >>and having to spend money to fend it off? Even if you have waivers all
> >>over the place, you will still have to hire the lawyer to prove in court
> >>that you HAD waivers, and that they were adequate and legal.
> >>
> >>Scarey.
> >>
> >>73, y'all, Guy
> >>
> >>
> >> >
> >> > From: "Tim Makins, EI8IC" <ei8ic@eircom.net>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
> >> > Date: 2001/03/08 Thu AM 08:44:12 EST
> >> > To: "TowerTalk" <towertalk@contesting.com>
> >> > Subject: Fw: [TowerTalk] Tower sled systems?????????????
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > There are a number of low cost towers ideas, and links to others, on
my
> web
> >> > pages. I would be VERY grateful if anyone knows of any more to
contact
> me,
> >> > as I would like to include as many as possible for people around the
> world
> >> > to reference. If there are any scanned articles available, they could
> be
> >> > hosted on my site too (Thanks, of course to Al.)
> >> >
> >> > Tim, EI8IC
> >> > www.qsl.net/ei8ic/
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > ----- Original Message -----
> >> > From: "Jack" <poster@gate.net>
> >> > To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
> >> > Sent: 04 March 2001 23:54
> >> > Subject: [TowerTalk] Tower sled systems?????????????
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > > It would be great to see some designs of Home Made Towers ans the
> >> > > diffrent desgns people come up with.
> >> > > Im interested in diffrent types of sled systems that go up the side
> and
> >> > > some that go around the tower to raise antennas up and down the
> tower.
> >> > > There are also some that use cable's as a guide system too.
> >> > >
> >> > > Looking for any ideas people may have thought of and put into use.
> >> > >
> >> > > Jack
> >> > > wb4roy
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/towertalk
> >> > Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com
> >> > Administrative requests: towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
> >> > Problems: owner-towertalk@contesting.com
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >>--
> >>FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/towertalk
> >>Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com
> >>Administrative requests: towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
> >>Problems: owner-towertalk@contesting.com
> >
> >
> >--
> >FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/towertalk
> >Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com
> >Administrative requests: towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
> >Problems: owner-towertalk@contesting.com
> >
>
>
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