[TowerTalk] Tower Project and lost parts

[Rick Bullon]

 Well this last week I've been on vacation (well off from work for a 
week). The biggest reason for taking the vacation is to start on the 
base and guys for my 70ft Rohn 25 tower. What follows is what I.I've 
learned these past few days.
  On Sat. morning went and rented the backhoe, figured I could know the 
holes out before Monday, WRONG! In this area of North Texas we have 
sandy loam about 12 to 16" then hard red clay for about another 2 or 3' 
that is as far as I got with the backhoe ( it was a small one) it would 
not dig more than an inch or two into the clay. Worked all day Sat. and 
Sun. ON MOnday I had to take the backhoe back only had 2 holes 3' deep.

Lesson learned: If you know your soil conditions have heavy clay or rock 
don't do it yourself! Hire a pro to do it for you.
  This what I had to do and it still took him 3 1/2 hours to get to 
4'where we hit bed rock!!( and the cost for the pro was about the same 
as the rental on the backhoe about 50 bucks more )

Question: If i put the 6" of gravel as specified by Rohn and the base 
and all the elevated guys sitting on bedrock will I have drainage 
problems?
  One of the holes for the elevated guys is only 3 1/2' the rest are 4'. 
The elevated guys points are 8" wide I beams 13# per foot 10' long was 
trying for about 5'ft deep. The bed rock stopped us. On the top of the I 
beams is a 6" long piece of angle iron that is 2x3x1/4" the equalizer 
plate mounts to the 3" side of the angle iron and barely clears the I 
beams so it can rotate to the angle of the guy wires. I belive this to 
be strong enough. Final dimension of the concrete will be 4' deep 2'wide 
and 4'long except for 1 guy that ended up at 3 1/2'.


I was planning to pour the concrete Fri or Sat ( we have a front coming 
in Sat nite forecast for rain) but UPS screwed up my plans by losing my 
base section, can't pour without it.
  I ordered the 5' base section and equalizer plates from Texas Towers 
last Sat. They shipped it on Tuesday and I received the equalizers on 
Wed. Thursday no base section so I called Texas Towers and ask them to 
trace it. Within 45 min Gerald K5GW called me back telling me that UPS 
lost the other package. Great service from Texas Towers but I would 
suggest that if an order is sent out in more than one package that they 
be marked "1 of 2" and "2 of 2" so maybe the idiots at UPS will get it 
all on the truck at the same time.I have no beef with Texas Towers,they 
did a good job but UPS has messed up everything!!!

 Lesson learned: have all parts in your hot little hand before you even 
start!!!
  Well this is long enough
73
Rick
KC5AJX

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-towertalk@contesting.com
Search:                   http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm