[Towertalk] Rohn tip-over base failed

[Guy Olinger, K2AV]

I wouldn't fix it. It's complained to you loud and clear about the
overload. I'd call it "weakened".

73, Guy.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ford Peterson" <ford@cmgate.com>
To: <Towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, May 27, 2002 3:35 PM
Subject: [Towertalk] Rohn tip-over base failed


> A few weeks ago, my 68' tiltover tower failed in a huge wind from a
> microburst that came through.  One guy failed and the tower was
helpless
> against 100+MPH winds.  I was disassembling the base section today
and
> discovered something very interesting.
>
> For the last few years, I have been perplexed by the need to forever
be
> tightening up the guys.  All the guys would loosen about the same so
the
> conclusion I came to was that the base itself was sinking in the
moist loam
> each spring.
>
> What I discovered today is that the tip-over base section (Rohn's)
had been
> overloaded by the weight of the tilt-over with all the hardware.  If
you
> have never seen the swivels on a tip-over base, they are single 3/8"
> diameter bolts pinned through the 25G type base section tubing.  The
whole
> weight of the tower rests on a single set of 3/8" bolts.  The holes
in the
> base section tubes were elongated downward by about 3/16" in only a
few
> short years.  All three legs were worn about the same.
>
> I thought Towertalkians might want to know this so that you can run
out and
> check your hinged base bolts.
>
> Now, on to how to fix this base so I can use it again...
>
> Ford-N0FP
> ford@cmgate.com
>
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