[SCCC] Hauling Ideas Needed

[Steve Harrison]

This is a solicitation for ideas.

I have a lead on a 90 ft telescoping tubular Sky Needle, presently 
located some 200 miles from my QTH in 29 Palms. It has a large log 
periodic on it that will have to be lifted off by an available crane, 
which will then lift the tower off its base and onto a trailer, which is 
also available. I don't intend to reuse the LP, although pictures I've 
seen show it in good condition.

But I can't figure out how we'd get that 4000-pound tubular tower off 
the trailer and onto the desert once here. Total length is in the 
neighborhood of 28 feet, likely a bit longer. I'd imagine the tower 
weight is fairly evenly distributed due to the winch at the base and the 
rotator assy at the top. The sand where the tower is to be unloaded is 
basically soft, although my 4"-thick driveway is adjacent to that 
location, offset by about 15 - 20 feet to the side. I can have the area 
for the tower compacted and lay gravel, which works pretty well out here 
for my driveway. This soft sand could also be a problem when attempting 
to back up the trailer to get the tower where it can be refurbished.

One idea that I have to remove the tower from the trailer is to try to 
rent an AWD semitruck boom wrecker truck and operator (which would have 
to come from Yucca Valley, I think), which should be able to move over 
the sand, particularly if I have some gravel placed where the tower will 
be set. Seems to me that the major problem will be to just lift the 
tower up high enough for the trailer to drive out from under, then let 
it down onto the ground. A pair of overhead hoists would accomplish the 
same task, at around the same estimated cost.

Any other ideas?? (No, hitting the gas and letting the tower fall off 
the back is a no-go from the start.)

Once the tower is lifted off the trailer, I then have to evaluate the 
inner wall condition for rust and corrosion due to the tower having 
lived on the SoCal coast for at least 51 years. Any ideas how to 
accomplish this? It seems the tower sections will have to be extended on 
the ground. I would imagine the military would then drill holes along 
the length, measure the wall thickness and perhaps insert an endoscope 
to look further at the insides, then weld the holes up. Any other ideas 
about this? I could, of course, simply erect it, extend it, and see 
whether it withstands our (sometimes high) desert wind.

I've been spending my mornings out on the desert before the heat sets in 
building Beverages, and have two more to put up. The others will have to 
wait for installation of the Sky Needle.

Thanks,

SteveH K0XP