[TowerTalk] Which tower base?

[K7LXC@aol.com]

In a message dated 10/15/00 8:53:58 PM Pacific Daylight Time, djl@andlev.com 
writes:

> I am planning, at some point later next year, to install a tower at my new
>  vacation QTH.  This winter, there is going to be a construction crew on 
site
>  with a backhoe and a concrete pumper.  So it seems like it would be a good
>  idea to put in a tower base while they are there...
>  
>  I think that I will probably put in Rohn 55G, with 45G a backup 
possibility.
>  I realize that most folks bury a short section in the concrete, but if I do
>  that I will be bound to one type of tower, right? 

    Well, sort of. If you bury something in the concrete, it does sort of tie 
you to that type of tower to some extent.

> I'd rather not decide
>  yet.  Is there a base that I can put in that will support either tower 
type?

    The imbedded-in-concrete short bases are type-specific. If you go with a 
pier pin and the Rohn CB2 base, you can put either concrete base plate on it. 

>  I'm not worried about the amount of concrete, rebar, etc.  I can overkill
>  that easily enough.  I am more worried about the metal part of the base -
>  does Rohn make something that mounts on a set of J bolts the way most
>  crank-ups do, or some other base mounting system that would allow me to put
>  in a bolt or two or three and decide on my tower type later?

    If you just wanted to pour the base with nothing imbedded in it, you can 
always go back and install either the pier pin and concrete base plate or 
concrete core the base, epoxy in some anchor bolts and use either the base 
plate or flat roof mount. They both can be bolted to a base.
>  
>  Also, since I don't plan to put in more than 150' of tower, I am thinking
>  about pouring guy anchors 120' feet away from the base.  If I later decide
>  to put in a shorter tower (say 90'), is having the guy anchors at 120' 
going
>  to be a problem (other than the extra cost of the EHS, which I can deal
>  with)?
>  
    Having the anchors out further is actually better since there is a little 
less stress on the guy wires.

Cheers,    Steve    K7LXC
Tower Tech

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