[TowerTalk] Do tall crank-up towers really work?

[Wes Cosand]

My quite helpful local volunteer ARRL counsel has advised me not to attempt 
to get a variance for the 50' limit on towers on my 9 acre lot.  He 
strongly encourages the installation of a crank-up.

I have always had serious reservations about these towers at the 70' to 90' 
heights I would like to install.  I am concerned about the obvious issues:
    * maintenance
    * safety
    * limited loading capacity
    * future availability of parts
I would think that if you stick a beam 89' up in the air in 70 mph wind 
with the play that has to be present in all of the moving parts, you are 
asking for problems.  Is my view naive?  Should I do something much more 
modest?

Wes, WZ7I

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