[TowerTalk] Stainless Bolts and Nuts on Tower

[K4SB]

Stan wrote:
 
snip...or a tower leg bolt actually  breaking and/or falling out.
> 
> Stan  w7ni@teleport.com

Well, you are about to hear of one. The only tower I have ever
lost. About 60' of Rohn 25. I put it up in the summer, and really
put a hurt on the bolts.

Then came January and a hard freeze ( at least for us ), about 15
above 0, with strong gusty winds. The bolts of course had
contracted in the cold weather, and
one of them snapped right in two at about the 45' level. Winds
must have rocked
the tower, because all of a sudden, the top section collasped,
antennas and 
all. Made enough noise to wake the dead about 2 am. Next morning,
I found the
nut still attached to the bolt, and the bolt laying on the deck.
Break was right in the middle, and these were new bolts.

Still mindful of that, even today, when I put up a 50 footer.
Nuts and bolts are made to hold the tower legs together. Nothing
else.

73
Ed

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