[TowerTalk] MA-550 Questions- Part 1

[BillSavage, K3AN]

I've been reading the posts for the past two months, and have read the
archives on contesting.com.  I am about to purchase my first ever tower,
and have a number of questions.  Thanks in advance for your opinions and
recommendations.

I have just moved to a country "estate" which consists of a house in the
middle of a 3 acre yard.  No trees except a 40' oak along the back edge of
the property, adjoining a cornfield.  Neighbors on both sides, on
equivalent size lots.  My property is 210 feet wide, and I have about 220
feet from the back of the house to the back of the lot.  There are no
antenna covenants; a few nearby neighbors have 8' satellite dishes and/or
30' or 40' house-bracketed TV towers.

I'm planning to install a free-standing U.S. Tower MA-550 crank-up tower
with the manual crank option.  The MA-550 is the XYL's requirement.

1.  I would like to use the '550 as a center support for an 80 Meter
dipole, so I guess I want the MAB instead of the MARB base.  The MARB base
puts the rotor at the bottom, and rotates the entire tower.  Is it feasible
to put some kind of loose-fit "collar" on the mast that's above the top
section, and tie the center of the dipole to some kind of arm extending
from the collar?

2.  If I go with the MAB mount, and put the rotator atop the tower, what's
the maximum safe length of mast I can use and not overstress the rotator's
bearings and other parts when I crank the tower over for antenna
maintenance.  I'm planning on a Force 12 C3SS beam.  What would be your
recommendation for the minimum rotator for this installation?  Would I be
better off going to the next one up the capacity chain?

3.  How do you go about ensuring that the base will be level, and the tower
plumb, as you are pouring the concrete and letting it set?  Can you shim
the base in some manner after the concrete has cured?  Will these questions
be answered in the U.S. Tower planning information packet?

4.  If anyone has recently purchased a MA-series tower, how long did it
take from order to receipt.

5.  Does U.S. Tower provide, or not provide, an installation instruction
manual?  I've seen both answers in prior posts.

Thanks to all respondents.

73,
K3AN



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