[TowerTalk] How Important is a Straight Tower?

Pete Smith n4zr@contesting.com
Thu, 14 Sep 2000 16:41:31 -0400


For the last several years, my Rohn 25G tower has been perfectly happy with
what I'd estimate is a 2-3" bend toward one top guy (up through the middle
guy seems pretty straight to me).  I haven't changed anything because it
would have involved replacing a big grip on that side, but in the process
of worrying the issue it occurs to me to ask just how important
super-straightness really is.

After all, a guyed tower is dynamically balanced -- it is flexible enough
that it adjusts any differences in guy length so that the tension on all 3
guys at a level remains the same, or nearly so.  That said, as long as the
bend isn't really severe, does it matter?  Is the strength of the structure
measurably impaired?

Any of you engineers want to take that one?

73, Pete Smith N4ZR

Contesting is ... Extreme Radio

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is back up and running at
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