I'll chime in here as I have used AB577 towers for Field Day for the
last 8 or 9 years.
Read the manual and then read it again!!
Use 7 people to erect this if you can, 3 holding the upper guys and
keeping it straight, two spotting the tower for straightness and two
putting it up. You can have one person crank it up and one person spot
but they run around a lot.
The spec. manual says that the test spec for the tower is the guys
tensioned to 150 lbs each and there are four guys on each side so the
450 lb. drum is a bit shy, use the vehicles _*and **disable*_ them or
use something that weighs a ton or more, large cement blocks, 4 drums
*_(disclaimer time: I have not calculated the force on the guys for the
max. rated wind speed (75 mph and 1/2" ice) so 1 ton is a guess pure and
simple)._*
The brake is rated for 500 lbs but this is way above what should be on
this as even 100 lbs is probably pushing it. We put around 65-75 lbs. on
ours.
Make sure you get the frame plumb using a good level before raising it,
not that idiot bubble on the frame.
Make sure that the frame is firmly shimmed at the bottom if the ground
is not level
As you raise it see if the tube is bearing hard against any of the
rubber rollers as this is a sign that the crew isn't keeping it straight.
The winch will give you an idea as to how it is going, if it starts to
bind take a look around.
We never used our extension kit so this is all based on the 50' setup
except for the comment about having 4 guys.
Our towers withstood a 50 mph squall that knocked tree limbs on the guys
and they were rock solid.
Look here for our FD setup, it must work, we were the #1 2A station in
1999,2000,2006 and 2008, yeah I know it is not a contest :)
http://www.ranv.org/fdrpt.html
Have fun and good luck
Bob
KB1FRW
73
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