[TowerTalk] Rohn 25G screw-in guys

[Gary and Jane Nieborsky]

Possibly not your anchors (though I think it is).  How hot was it when you
measured them?  The difference in tension can be great if the temperature
change is great.  I'm not sure what Rohn says but in the utility world
tensions (wire and guys) are referenced against 60 degrees.  Tension in a
new set of guys will decrease as the wire settles into final sag.  This may
take 2 or three years (or longer) and require retensioning periodically.  My
old tower required retensioning every spring and every fall.  I used a Loose
but I also had access to a bypass dynamometer.  The Loose was surprisingly
accurate (within 5%).

Did you mark your anchors to see if they are creeping?  Depending on your
soil, 4' with a 6"helix (single I'm guessing) won't generate enough holding
power to satisfy the manufacturer.  My handy AB Chance anchor book shows a
single 6" at 8' is good for 5,000 lbs.  It doesn't even talk about depths
less than that.

I'd suggest going down to your local utility and seeing how much they'd
charge you to bring out their tools and do it up right.  I'll bet it's
cheaper than digging a hole for each one.  If you're lucky and are served by
a Co-op you just might get it done for the cost of the material and a
barbequed hamburger.

Gary K7FR

-----Original Message-----
From: Ford Peterson <ford@cmgate.com>
To: towertalk@contesting.com <towertalk@contesting.com>
Date: Friday, August 04, 2000 7:14 PM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Rohn 25G screw-in guys


>
>I have a 68' tiltover that was installed last summer.  My loose gauge was
>used to set the tension to 380lb or so on all 8 guys.  Last fall, the whole
>system was tweeked to retension after a few up and downs to do antenna
work.
>Early winter, tweeked again.
>
>I just checked it earlier this evening and was STUNNED!  The tension was
>under 100lb on all guys.
>
>My concern is the Fleet-farm special screw-in guy anchors.  They are the 4
>foot variety with about a 6" disk.  No data.  None available from Fleet
Farm
>in terms of what they will hold.
>
>They are screwed in at the appropriate angle to the guys.  Do these things
>let go when anchored into loamy soil?  I should have checked them earlier
>and ASS-u-ME-d they were still tight.  I saw them flopping in the wind and
>checked them immediately.
>
>If anybody has data on these generic anchors--better yet--personal
>experience of them failing, let me know.  I don't want to lose a tower due
>to trying to save a few lousy dollars on hardware!
>
>Ford--N0OQW
>ford@cmgate.com
>
>
>
>
>--
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>


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