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Re: [TowerTalk] Re-orienting a crank-up tower

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Re-orienting a crank-up tower
From: "Roger (K8RI) on TT" <K8RI-on-TowerTalk@tm.net>
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2013 18:36:14 -0500
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
On 12/10/2013 3:22 PM, john@kk9a.com wrote:
The tower probably weighs less than 1000 pounds which is not that heavy.

We don't know that. My 72 footer weighs about 1200# and weight goes up rapidly with height.

If you can get a crane anywhere near the tower I would not worry about it

Depends on what you are willing to spend. A 72' crank up, tilt over is worth between 2 and 3 thousand

until it comes time to remove it.  You can do maintenance on antennas or
the rotator without tilting it.  I am sure that it is possible to

It depends on how the tower fastens to the base and how the raising fixture works.. If it uses flat plates, it is hinged on two legs and only tilts in one direction. You would have to lift the tower above the base attach points if it has ears and cut up the existing raising fixture, which is throwing a lot of money away.

I recently took down an LM470 in a situation as you describe. It was a royal PITA and took some heavy equipment which the yard has to support. Needless to say, the yard suffered greatly. The tower was tilted over, but the raising fixture went the other way so it couldn't be used. If the tower couldn't be tilted it would have needed to be lifted straight up 12 feet. The raising fixture would have allowed one man to take the tower down and remove the fixture in about 10 minutes.

We could have done it with out the heavy equipment, but it would have been risky for the tower and the workers. Manhandling a 1000# tower (give or take) is not for amateurs. No pun intended.

I worked with a lot of heavy stuff in industry and with that experience, opted for the heavy equipment.

If you have a nice yard, I'd definitely relocate the tower now. You say "tilt over". Is that from the base as in using a raising fixture, or is it up a ways like the LM470. It is hinged at the base for installation with a raising fixture, and tilts over (In the other direction) at 10-12 feet for maintenance allowing work from a tall step ladder, or extension ladder.

73

Roger (K8RI)

fabricate a special base adapter to tilt it another direction, but it
would not be easy or inexpensive.

John KK9A


To:      TowerTalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject:         [TowerTalk] Re-orienting a crank-up tower
From:    Kelly Johnson <n6kj.kelly@gmail.com>
Date:    Tue, 10 Dec 2013 11:53:09 -0800

We are planning to remodel our home.  After the remodel, my crankup tower
will no longer be capable of tilting over.  I have never tilted the tower
over since installing it and have no plans to do so until the tower is
removed.  I am concerned, however, that it will be difficult to remove the
tower in the future if it is no longer capable of being tilted over.  I
think the only option would be a really large crane or helicopter.  I see
several options:
1) Leave the tower as is and worry about removal when the time comes
2) Move the tower to a new location
3) Figure out a way to re-build the foundation/base in the existing tower
location and re-orient the tower so it tilts in a different direction.

I know how to do #1 or #2, but neither is particularly appealing.  Any
ideas on how practical/feasible it would be to do #3?

FYI - The tower is a Tashjian Towers LM-354HDSP (ie. very heavy!)

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