[Towertalk] Any glaring discrepancies?

blueis@sprintmail.com blueis@sprintmail.com
Fri, 12 Apr 2002 13:22:05 -0400


After the fourth iteration I have made the 'final' decisions.  The Spring
(?) antenna/tower project will consist of 70' AN Wireless tower (*massive*
windloading spec!), TH7 at 5' above top of tower, Cushcraft A3WS w/30m
add-on at 80', and 40m rotatable dipole at 85'.  All of this will be
(hopefully!) turned by a HAM IV rotor using a <fill-in-the-type> 20' mast.
(five feet of mast 'nested' in tower)  I will be making one 100' run of
LMR-400 to an Ameritron remote coax switch at the top of the tower.  (Two
'spare' coax runs will be installed on the tower.)

After reading the TT mail for about a year, I belive I have adherred to the
basic tenents and good practices espoused on TT.  I have no capability of
'modeling', so I am asking if anyone sees any major problems with this
arrangement.  I have the *written* authorization/building permit of
zoning/codes officer to install a tower (et al) to a max height of 85'.

Is there anything I should -- nay, MUST -- change?  What type of mast will
*reliably* keep all this aluminum in the air for the next ten years?  Is my
plan to make all booms parallel wise?  Or should I make the 40m dipole
perpendicular to the TH7/A3WS booms.  I'm not sure if the spacing between
the TH7 and the A3WS is 'optimal', but have little latitude because of the
structure's height restriction.

I am as concerned about what I may have forgotten as I am about my plans.
Has anyone developed a 'checklist' for antenna/tower projects?  I DO plan to
install a SPG system and use grounding/lightning protection as my pocketbook
allows.

I have not found a used 40m rotatable dipole yet.  Do you know of one
available?  From what I have read on TT, a rotatable dipole at 75' to 85'
should play well in 'normal' situations.  Is there a particular model you
would recommend??

Lastly, I ask if you know of anyone who could act as contractor/installer
for this project in southcentral Pennsylvania?  I cannot/do not climb, so I
need a recommendation of someone to do the tower work.  (I will hire a local
excavator to put in the tower base and will probably bring a crane in to set
the tower.)    [See, Steve... your list of installers IS needed!]

Emails back-channel are perhaps more appropriate... unless you can use my
info above to point out discrepancies for everyone's benefit.

Thanks

gary b
k3gb
RVN BTO