[TowerTalk] Hi-Tech Station Cost
WA9ALS - John
jfleming@shelbynet.net
Tue, 23 May 2000 12:19:51 -0500
Could we have a couple hundred line limit and another reflector for
biographies?
----- Original Message -----
From: <K7GCO@aol.com>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>; <w7wjp@msn.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2000 10:16 AM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Hi-Tech Station Cost
>
> Let me compliment K0FF on the scope and accuracy of his cost run down.
I
> came up with the same figure with an educated guess in previous posts. I
> added another $100,000-500,000 for the land just for the towers. Don't
> forget the extra real estate tax and loss of money by not having all that
> money increasing in investments. There is even more land needed or access
to
> it for the long Beverages. Or hide it in the top wire of neighbors fences
or
> lay green insulated wire on the ground. If one buys a Motor Coach he can
get
> a high % of money out of it if he sells it. How much money can get out of
a
> contest ham station. There are far fewer buyers. If one gets several
years
> of good use out of it--go for it. The price of excellence tends to get a
bit
> high.
>
> There will be so many guy wires for all these towers that no sun screen
will
> be needed to prevent sun burn for all the hours needed to maintain it. If
> one used a lot of the rotators and other equipment that TT shows is always
> breaking down, replacement costs after a few years and also labor cost if
you
> can't do it yourself, keeps the cost increasing fast after the initial
> investment. Retirees usually can't afford even the maintenance and often
> have to sell everything. I can still climb towers but would rather not.
> Weather delays maintenance in the winter unless you have crank ups or tip
> over towers. I have platforms on fixed towers. Many retirees become
> Involuntarily, Financially, Physically Bankrupted from their Hobbies.
>
> To put this estimate in even more prospective, one can install a 5 band 2
> element quad (I've added 6M also) with individually driven DE's with a
coax
> switch at the beam like Antenna Mart has, a 35-50' tower next to the
house,
> rotator and coax for about $1500 which is a great bargain. This will work
> the world like few have ever experienced with virtually no maintenance.
They
> are built for Longevity and retiree budgets--physically, financially and
> socially.
>
> To beat this beam or similar ones like the RaiBeam or HexBeam (or Moxon
who
> no one builds commercially), you need mono-banders of more elements, all
the
> associated costs, the land and permission to install it all physically and
> financially from you know who--the XYL. They frequently don't like the
looks
> of this new aluminum mistress and it's cost in money and time. If the
wife
> ever saw what it really costs for a few more Ego Boasting dB's toy that
> reduced your time with her, you could lose it all in a divorce.
>
> For 20-30 dB more $$$, all you gain is 2-4 more "line of sight gain",
> sharpening of the vertical pattern which gives what I call more "DX Gain"
> based on many comparisons and a lower angle of radiation which puts one in
> sooner and holds one in later needed to be competitive in contests. You
will
> hear stuff the lower ones don't hear. The lower and fewer element beams
seem
> to take over during the day in the contest. So all this investment only
> really helped your signal mostly during the opening and closing of the
band.
> Disturbing isn't it?
>
> Now there are a couple a ways to get a lower angle of radiation from lower
> heights. Vertically polarized beams is one. (The others are trade
secrets?)
> Minimum tower interference is a must and can be obtained with 2
vertically
> polarized beams on a horizontal boom mounted away from the tower. This
> sharpens the horizontal pattern--not the vertical pattern. However just
> tipping the beam vertical automatically sharpens the vertical pattern also
> which is beneficial for DX as the E plane of each beam is sharper than the
H
> plane. This takes another tower and beam. Although I have done both on
one
> tower on 10, 6 & 2 M by installing a horizontal beam 1/2-5/8 WL above the
> horizontal boom close to the tower holding the 2 vertical beams. I have a
> telescoping mast technique that works, is strong and I can raise it and
the
> beam all by myself. I could select the vertical beams, the top horizontal
> beam or both, with various phasings with great results.
>
> There is a way to feed a quad for 6 polarizations but when vertically or
even
> 45 degree polarization, the tower is lit up and eliminates the advantage.
> There is a way to actually isolate the tower from vertical polarization
when
> the vertically polarized beam is right at the tower. One can reduce QSB
due
> to polarization shift by being able to switch between different
> polarizations. This also results in a different and lower angle of
radiation
> than that from the horizontal polarization.
>
> DX Ego is very costly but what the hell, competition is the source of all
the
> great joys. How you spend your money on technical challenges is your
> business. I just spent $110,000 for 6 acres 4 miles from town in SD of
the
> highest ground conductivity in the US, no power lines for miles and it has
a
> very modern house on it with 12" walls and 2' of insulation in the
ceiling.
> The rest of the hardware I need I already have for the most part which was
> carefully hoarded over 60 years in anticipation of my dream sight. In
> addition to not being able to take any money with me after my last QSO I
also
> have determined I can't take any ham gear with me either. I feel I can
put
> together a great station at the least cost of anyone and on a retiree's
> budget. I still do my own installations often alone and maintenance .
>
> To decrease the initial and replacement costs there are several ways. I
have
> repeatedly pointed out the many advantages of open wire line and a Johnson
> Match Box (with my modifications). With a few sneaky tricks, there isn't
an
> antenna you can't feed better and get more RF into it over the whole
> band--continually for the least 1 time cost for your entire lifetime.
Visual
> inspection is all one needs to do to determine if the open wire line is
doing
> it's job. Damaged open wire line is easily repaired--coax isn't. Initial
> cost is very low and feedline maintenance cost is virtually ZERO.
>
> Rotator problems just go away with Prop Pitch Motors properly installed
and
> modified as I have suggested many times. My initial rotator cost was very
> very low and maintenance cost is virtually ZERO.
>
> I suggested no guy wire telephone poles several times with wire tracks on
> them for easy up and down for the least initial cost and virtually no
> maintenance. A few finally saw the financial and practicality light.
> Telephone Pole Maintenance is virtually ZERO.
>
> For more DX Versatility at the least cost and maintenance (no crane and
> installation crew needed), stacking 2 element quads, RaiBeams, Hex Beams
or
> Moxon 2 element beams gives the same increase in line of sight gain with
> closer spacing, lighter towers and rotators. It's what I call the "K7GCO
> Retiree's Kick Butt Budget Antenna System." 3 stacked 2 element beams can
be
> installed for less or equal cost of 2 monobanders of several elements.
When
> the wind really blows, you can sleep much better with 2 element beams on
the
> towers. Antenna installation is very easy and maintenance is virtually
ZERO.
>
>
> The extra insurance, grass cutting and technical consulting cost plus
> telephone bills were not mentioned on all this??
>
> High level of technical performance cost and maintenance can be greatly
> minimized. The World of 2 Element Beams, ease of installation and their
> great performance at low heights starting a 1/2 WL is one that has not
been
> properly portrayed. They also work great much higher also with far less
> tower and rotator cost than the big ones. RaiBeams with directors have
more
> gain per boom length. The boom length normally used for a reflector is
used
> for another director as it's design has good F/B--without a reflector.
>
> Eznec shows that VHF/UHF antennas can be installed inside HF quads with no
> interference to either one. You can have it all on one tower.
> K7GCO
>
>
> In a message dated 21.05.00 11:42:42 Pacific Daylight Time, K0FF@ARRL.NET
> writes:<<
>
> Here is a rundown of the $$ for a medium big Midwest station. (7
Towers,
> 7
> Beverages), with a VHF/UHF emphasis.
> * denoted homebrew
> ** denotes items purchased used.
>
> (What is the cost of a Big Big Midwest station?)
>
> Antennas:
> Hygain 5 el 20 $500
> Hygain 5 el 15 $500
> Hygain 5 el 10 $450
> Mosley Pro 57 $600
> CC 6M Boomers (4) $1476
> CC 2M Boomers(8) $1760
> CC 230WB $250**
> M2 2M-17el (5) $999
> M2 6M 7 el $290
> M2 6M 11 el $530
> M2 432 13WL $230
> M2 222 7WL $300
> M2 1296 $100
> R7000 $380
> R5 $100*
> HF2V $239
> Create LP $300
> s.s Discone (VHF) $150
> Hustler discone $50
> Diamond 2/440 repeater ant $240
> Mosley el 40 $900**
>
> For the trailer tower:
> Mosley TA33 $100**
> ATAS 100 $200
> BJ screwdriver $100**
> Hustlers w/ coils $200 **
> 6M 3 el 00*
> 6M 5 el 00*
> 6M 7 el 00*
> 222 10 el 00*
> 430 10 el 00*
>
> Antennas total ...............$10,644
>
> Towers
> 100' SSV 8-1/2' base $2000**
> 10x10 air-conditioned transmitter building free
> professional delivery installation of above incl... underground
electricity
> and 39 yds concrete, and removing the old 185' microwave tower .......
> $16,000
>
> 89' US Tower, work platform, chrome molly mast, coax arms
> bearing, lifting fixture, raising fixture, SP for HDR300,
> plus 56' US tower, motor,bearing, reinforced mast, coax arms and shipping
> for both ......... $15,000
>
> Triex 56' crankup $400**
>
> Triex 72' Motorized crankup $1000**
>
> HDX 56 $50**
>
> Heights 48 $100**
>
> Wilson 40' tubular $200**
>
> Concrete, backhoe, labor to install towers $2500?
>
> 33' Triex trailer tower w/ 4K generator,
> solar panels, batteries, inverters $1500**
>
> 20' 55G w/ (2) 3" bearings, 2 rotor plates, 3" mast $700
>
> Total for towers .............................................
$39,150
>
> Rotors HDR300 $300**
> Tailtwister(2) $1000
> Ham4 (2) $800
> M2 2800 (2) $2860
> M2 M3000 (2) $2000
> hd73 (2) $300
> CDE 45 (2) $100**
> Pelco AZ EL $1500
>
> Total for rotors
..................................................$8,860
>
> Rigs:
> FT1000D (HF sta.) $3000**
> IC756 (6M sta.) $2000
> FT 847 (2M EME) $1600
> FT736 (222+1296 sta.) $2500
> FMs + HTs $1000
> MFJ 9420 $150
> ATV gear $600
> TUBE RIGS (nostalgia sta): $2000**??
> 75S3C / xtal pack
> 32S3 / DX eng
> Dentron 160 xvtr
> Viking II
> Mosley CM1
> Utica 650
>
> Rigs Total ..........................$12,850
>
> AMPS
>
> HF (Henry) $6000
> 6M (Henry) $3000
> 2M (Henry) $3000
> SB221 $400**
> LK1000 $200**
> Bricks for vhf+UHF $1500
>
> AMPs total ........................... $14,100
>
> Accessories:
> Bird W/M (6) $600
> 12 slugs $600
> Kam $200
> Drake 7000 rtty $4300**
> HP Pentium II $2000
> HP Laser printer $1400
> Atomic clock $200
> SSB 2m preamps (2) $440
> Polypahser panel $500
> Ant analyzer, grid dippers, sig gens, voltmeters, other test equip
$1000
> Auto notch filter $150
> Voice keyers (2) $300
> tuners $350
>
> Accy total.................$8,050
>
> Coax, control wire, control boxes:
> 350' 1-5/8 run from op. position to TX shack at 100' tower. $3000
> 225' 1-1/4 run from op pos to 89' tower (new w/ new connectors) $1200
> 6 100' runs 7/8"
> $600
> 6 100' runs 1/2" $300
> 1000' RG389 $500
> 3000't 75Ohm Triax $2850
> 3000' RG 213 $300
> LMR 400 phasing lines $500
> Power splitters $500
> 5KW relay boxes (3) $300*
> Bev hub box $100*
> innumerable coaxial fittings + adapters, ground rods, ground strapping..
??
> 1000's ft multiconductor control wire.
> 10,000's ft 18ga. wire for radials + Beverages.
> Total coax etc.................$10,000+
>
> Project total...................$100,000+
> #price does not reflect the cost of the 1000' of riverbluff top for
siting,
> road cutting, trenching for electric, tree removal, etc.
>
> This fellow wishes to remain anonymous. He's already over budget, his
wife
> may see this. She thinks he's finished already.
>
> K0FF
>
>
>
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>
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