[Towertalk] swinging gate and mounts

[Mike Gilmer]

K1MY wrote:
> > I want to side mount on Rohn 45 in a fixed position a KLM KT36XA. 
> > Any recommendadtions as to what/whose hardware to use?

K7LXC wrote:
> Just get an aluminum plate big enough to bolt to the legs and bolt 
> the tower to it. W7NI has the Rohn leg U-bolts. Unless it's a real 
> small antenna, DO NOT clamp the antenna directly to one leg.


Even if it is small, clamping the antenna to one tower leg will eventually allow it to rotate in the wind and you'll find it pointing the wrong way.  It's really tough to get enough grip on a 1-1.5 inch tube - even if one really cranks down on several u-bolts.

If you didn't design/layout the tower so that one face points conveniently at your favorite fixed position (say, EU) so that you can capture two legs on a single plate, I'd recommend you clamp this plate to one leg and then add a separate brace/arm/bracket to stabilize the boom to another leg of the tower.  Then you will not be relying on the "grip" of any u-bolt to maintain pointing accuracy.

73 Mike N2MG