[TowerTalk] Unsafe Towers @ field day

[Pat Barthelow]

Hi Folks, 

	About the unknown tower just described on the reflector...
I have a serious problem.  The local radio club, removed the
tower from the N6IJ premesis to use in their local field day operation 
(NPSARC, K6LY Club).
	The problem is...I am quite experienced with respect to safety
issues to examine in any tower installation, have climbed for 20 years, 
originally in the Cable TV industry... but the Field day chairman is
hell bent on using the tower for HIS field day.  I saw it set up for the
first time by another group, used in the VHF contest, last weekend.  It
really is flimsy!  I climbed about 10 ft, and decided to be sane and
climbed off.  Tower was  placed on flat ground, and had the base plate
installed, with uprights bolted to the tower bottom verticals.  It was
scary to climb even 10 feet.  The group had it "guyed" with nylon rope, at
the 30 foot level only.  
	I then wrote the field day chairman, saying that
he was not to allow anyone to climb the tower while vertical, period. Just
too dangerous in my opinion.  They plan to put up 30 ft of it, with a
small tribander beam on top, with a rotor intalled, too.  The tower had
been "repaired" with supplemental sheet aluminum angle and 3 pop rivets,
where it
had been bent and wrinkled at sometime in the past.  The chairman came
unglued! Was defiant!  Said that he inspected the tower and certifies it
as safe to climb, and  that basically I should go fly a kite.  Won't
listen to reason by me.  Is not an engineer, tho is good, and ambitious 
with hammer, saw, drill etc.  "They have survived it's installation at 3
past events with no problems, so just bug off!"  
No one has ever seen a manufacturers' manual on the tower, and
there are no identifying marks on it.
	I need some credentialed tower types to write to set this dangerous
loose cannon straight.  I see all kinds of scary things.  Please address
these in your mail.  I really fear for someone getting killed on this
thing this coming field day.  It is one thing to up a section or two of
Rohn 25 for field day, if done carefully, but this flimsy flyer is a whole
different animal, probably overstressed with even a single person on it.
To say nothing of  Bungee cord-like nylon guys which offer no restraint
from twisting of the tower, Remember, in it's original life it was
simply a vertical radiator, an RF conductor, not an antenna support, and 
was installed with substantial steel guys in 3 places.  It will probably
be placed on flat park lawn type ground, and stakes pounded into holes in
the flat base for anchors, with nylon rope guys tied to the top, at 30
feet, and those ropes tied to ground stakes, or nearby cars, trees,
etc.....you know... the typical field day in the park-type site....
	I am taking digital camera pics of the tower, and can send them to
anyone who wishes to view them.... 

Send your responses to me, and I will forward them to this Field Day
Chairman.

BTW, Please have a happy SAFE Field day!

P.S. The Coast Guard guesses it may be manufactured by Andrew
Any ideas?


73, DX, de 
Pat, AA6EG/N6IJ; 
aa6eg@hh.tmx.com;n6ij@hotmail.com
599 DX Drive, Marina CA 93933
See us on the web: www.polkinghorn.org/n6ij
"The Contest Station from MARS"


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