[TowerTalk] Towers & Trees

[John Langdon]

You should consider the trees to have a 100% set back requirement ala some 
municipalities: if the tree would fall across a guy or anchor during a full 
length fall in any direction, it should be gone.  Then visualize the trees 
10 years from now and apply the same standards to them now.  Be mindful of 
limber limbs that during high winds could rub against guys (especially 
Phillystran).  Watch the trees during a thunderstorm with 50+ mph winds and 
you will be amazed at the excursions some of those limbs can make.

I cleared 100's of junipers out of the way, and about a dozen oaks that did 
not meet the above requirement (but I'm set for firewood for a while!). 
 Even if you have an ordinance that requires replacing any tree you remove, 
it is still cheaper than replacing the tower and guys, or disputing an 
insurance claim denial as to whether or not your failure to remove the 
trees was not good installation practice.   We would have never been able 
to run the tram line (much less the back guys) or get the antennas up on to 
the tower if we hadn't removed some of the tree cover. I still don't have 
all my slopers up because of the hassle of getting a line up and over the 
all the trees and through the antennas mounted on the tower, but I draw the 
line at removing trees for that, at least at this point.   I am planting 
more trees than I removed (voluntarily) to shade the shack and reduce 
visibility of the antennas from the road.

BTW, sometimes the tree huggers are good for DX.  The city is buying 
multiple 1000's of acres near my remote QTH to make sure they never get 
developed, which for me means less QRN and fewer potential TVI target 
devices.

73 John N5CQ


-----Original Message-----
From:	Bill Fisher - W4AN [SMTP:w4an@contesting.com]
Sent:	Monday, August 10, 1998 11:01 AM
To:	LYN
Cc:	towertalk@contesting.com
Subject:	Re: [TowerTalk] Towers & Trees

When it comes to trees, my advice is to figure out what trees you need to
take down.  Then take 50% more.  This advice was given to me by K5ZD and
I chose to ignore it.  The tree-man was happy I did.

73

W4AN


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