[TowerTalk] Pinning Masts

[K7GCO@aol.com]

In a message dated 4/23/01 8:05:08 AM Pacific Daylight Time, K7LXC@aol.com 
writes:
<< In a message dated 4/22/01 9:20:04 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
k0wa@swbell.net 
 writes:
 > I do not like pinning of a mast no matter what the material is.  Either 
the 
 >  holes will elongate or the bolts will fail in time. 
 
     AND the forces will find the next weak link in the chain. In this case 
 it's gears or brake in the rotator. Ouch!
 
 Cheers,    Steve    K7LXC
 Tower Tech 
  >>
You are right Steve but those of us who use Prop Pitch Motors don't have to 
worry about all that and all the band aids needed on other rotators.  Further 
we don't have to worry about beam orientation in high winds either.

I just had the mechnaical joy of converting a medium PP motor for higher 
speed.  I only paid $50 for it--the most I ever paid.  Of the 8 I have I've 
only paid a total of $200 for all of them and very little maintenance or 
problems in over 50 years.   

It's a wise idea to use beams properly designed like M2, Raibeam & Antenna 
Mart and towers with proper guying or telephone poles and those all "wind 
worry problems" go away.

The recent posts on concrete were informative.  All that concrete talk got 
very heavy and technical.  Telephone poles can be installed in 15 minutes or 
less after the hole is dug and require no guys or heavy or expensive 
concrete, guy anchors expensive consultants on all that tower technical stuff 
and painting.  If you move, cut it off at the base and throw a can of Stump 
Remover on it.  Big concrete blocks are also expensive to remove from the 
ground--by others.

A 2 wire track on a telephone for a carriage of a 10' section of tower going 
up and down the wires with a counter weight holding the rotator and mast is a 
great support for a single beam.  It makes it easy to repair bent mast 
also--very near the ground.  

I just got 3 Raibeams for a special 6M unique stacking arrangement--more pure 
antenna joy.  k7gco

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