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Re: [TowerTalk] Mast Binding in Rohn 25 Pointy-Top

To: <jim@audiosystemsgroup.com>, <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Mast Binding in Rohn 25 Pointy-Top
From: "Steve Jones" <n6sj@earthlink.net>
Date: Sun, 13 Nov 2011 12:07:28 -0800
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Jim-

Here are a couple of pictures of how I installed my mast through a Rohn 25
pointy top sleeve. The rubber pipe adapters for cast iron/plastic pipe are available at any Home Depot. I
had to use a rat tail file to grind down the threads on the 1 1/2" side of
the fitting, which is slightly less than 2" ID from the factory. I coated the upper part of the mast with white lithium grease before I slid it up through the pointy top sleeve, then slid the rubber adapter down from the top and secured it with the clamp so the lower part covered the opening of the tower sleeve. Never had a
binding problem in the 10years it was on top of my 100' Doug fir, before the
tree died.

BTW if it binds only when it rains, it does sound like redwood debris that would swell up when wet. That duff gets into everything around here!

73,
Steve
N6SJ

----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Brown" <jim@audiosystemsgroup.com>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, November 12, 2011 12:40 PM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Mast Binding in Rohn 25 Pointy-Top


Crew,

My Rohn 25 tower holds a 3-el SteppIR up about 125 ft in redwoods, about
50 ft below the tops of the surrounding trees.  For at least 6 months,
the mast has been binding when it's been raining much.  I've carefully
studied things from the ground below, and there's nothing hitting the
antenna, so I believe it must be binding in the pointy-top. K6XX and  I
have banged ideas around, and all we can come up with s debris from the
trees above collecting in the space between the mast and the sleeve, and
expanding as it gets wet.

As a solution, we're thinking about hitting that gap from above with a
couple of cans of WD40, and perhaps adding some sort of rubber gasket on
the mast just above that point to prevent additional debris collecting
there.

Does this make sense?  Any experience from others on symptoms like
this?  Any other suggested solutions?

73, Jim K9YC
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