[TowerTalk] Homebrew towers

[K7GCO@aol.com]

In a message dated 22.01.00 09:16:19 Pacific Standard Time, 
mcduffie@scottsbluff.net writes:

<< rom: mcduffie@scottsbluff.net (Gary McDuffie, Sr.)
 Sender:    owner-towertalk@contesting.com
 Reply-to:  mcduffie@scottsbluff.net
 To:    towertalk@contesting.com
 
 
 On Sat, 22 Jan 2000 09:04:21 -0800, Fred Meier wrote:
 
 > Gentlemen: It seems that homebrewing towers is now politically incorrect?
 > In older Antenna handbooks there are frequent references to ownerbuilt
 > support structures. This doesn't happen any more. Any comments?
 
 Can you say   Law-yers ???   Li-a-bil-i-ty ? >>

   Inaddition to Lawyers and Liability for reasons Hams are not building 
towers, Hams aren't building hardly anything anymore due to availability of 
many improved products and they have more money to spend.  I still build when 
I can't buy.  Howeer retirement changes that.  
   K7LXC had a fair comment about not building towers unless you had some 
technical knowledge of stresses.  There is a simple way to get around this 
problem I've used for years.  See what the experts do that design to the fine 
line of longevity and cost.  Then build it bigger and stronger by 1.5-2X and 
it hasn't failed me yet. 
   There were 2 magnificent Eiffel Looking self supporting 120' towers 
available for taking off a building in down town Seattle.  It would cost too 
much to get down, they were 75 years old and needed all new bolts, the steel 
was so thick rust was not a problem and due to the weight it would cost a 
fortune to galvanize.  
    Over the years I've seen heavy aluminum angle, pipe and I beams at the 
surplus places here that was $1/pound.  I always wanted to accumulate enough 
of it to be able to make my own self supporting aluminum Eiffel Looking Tower 
that was properly bolted together with a stair way in the middle and then to 
an enclosed ladder.  With inexpensive surplus aluminum one can over build and 
not worry about failure.  It's easy to drill and handle and virtually no 
maintenance.  Someday I may do it.  Something like that is a rare site of 
beauty to the builder just like any antenna he might build. 
k7gco

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