[TowerTalk] Tower Complaints & backhoes

[John Brosnahan]

>Hoo boy!  I went through that too...  Thought I was a big shot that
>couldn't dig 3 holes..  I had a backhoe out here for another project and
>asked him to dig the holes...  $1,200. bucks worth of concrete later, I
>had tower bases!  Boy, will I ever dig in the future!  Those scoops are
>ok for width, but the hole ends up WAY too long!
>
>Chuck, KE5FI


A real artist of a backhoe operator can dig great holes, but most are
in a big hurry--thinking more is better and do it the easy way.

Which is why I trade my digging labor for making forms labor.  I use
the backhoe for the digging and then form the holes--I now have 
sets of forms to put up two large towers (200ft Rohn 55) at the 
same time  --2 bases and 6 anchors and a second pair of sets for 
smaller towers (160 ft Rohn 25 and 120 ft Rohn 45) --2 bases and
6 anchors.  They paid for themselves on concrete savings and
the backhoe work saves my body for tower climbing.

The tradeoffs may not be as obvious if you are just doing one tower.

John  W0UN


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