[TowerTalk] Lou Tristao - SK

[David L. Thompson]

I bought a 71 foot Tristao crank up in 1969 from Bob Henry in Butler, MO.
Lou called me directly to ask some questions before shipping
and options.   Contrary to popular belief (still) that  crank ups could not
be guyed   Lou always recommended guying towers.  His idea was that guys
don't hold up the tower but merely provided side support.  Lou laughed at
the naysayers as he built guyed crank ups for at least four different
companies.  At Tristao he had a line of guyed only crank ups that he also
sold through Carl Mosley.

For my tower he welded guy rings at no extra cost.  He also provided guying
recommendations (same as for his guyed 71 footer).   He would provide a
rotor plate for almost any rotor.   He held a patent for the fold over base/
tower raising fixture that made it easy to work on antennas as the tower was
brought vertical.  He even tried an innovative "add a section" design.
Unfortunately the tower had to be shipped back to Lou to make say a 54
footer into a 71 footer (he added a bigger bottom section and re-strung the
wire rope).

The only problems I had with his tower is that the small winch on the tower
raising fixture broke once (you should have seen the Mosley  40 meter
elements driven 3 feet into the ground).  The Fulton winches he used (US
Tower still uses them) was easy to replace.  I got a heavier model this
time.  The Fulton on the tower also gave up after 24 years and Bruce at US
Tower sent me one he was using on the HDX 72...I also found that putting a
crimp in the wire rope clamp takes special gear.  A boat place cannot put a
crimp that holds when used vertical!!!!!!   I had to get a tall ladder and
go to 4 HD guy thimbles.   Maybe a foundry can install the crimp.   Be
careful as a vertical tower has plenty of down forces and they are far
beyond the actual tower weight.

RIP Lou.

73 Dave K4JRB



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