[Towertalk] Old tower companies

[David L. Thompson]

I saw another post asking if anyone outside of US Tower or Tri-Ex made crank
up towers.  The most recent company to pull out of towers was Telex Hy-Gain
although there is some talk about bring back the 54 and 70 foot versions.
Tri-Ex is now made by a fellow in California, and Rohn has pulled out of the
crank up and tilt over tower manufacture.   EZ-Way was another company that
disappeared upon the death of the owner in Florida.  There are some towers
made in Europe (Finland and the German Versatower) but getting then to North
America is costly (even for resellers!)  A company used the Trylon name in
the 1950s (Wind Turbine Company) but according to W3LPL this was a different
company from the current Ontario based Trylon.

I recently found an article in CQ Magazine on tower makers in 1963 or so.
In looking through old magazines I find several additional interesting
companies that are no longer around.

1.    Vesto:  Made the towers we see at Airports and Military bases (4 legs
30 to 100 feet) and the owner was a ham (based in Kansas City).

2.    Aeromotor:  Made 3 legged towers from 30 to 100 feet.  I nearly bought
one from a ham in Florida in the early 1970's.  They left the ham and
commercial market, have changed hands several times and now make windmill
towers that are very expensive!

3.    Dura Tower:  This firm, based in Indiana, advertsied in CQ and 73 in
the late 60's a set of tilt over towers that went from 40 to 90 feet.  I
ordered one with a deposit but they decided not to build my version and
returned the money which I then used to buy a Tristao 71 foot crank up from
Bob Henry in Butler, MO.

4.    Mid-West Tower Company.  Come forward 20 or 25 years and a tower was
advertised that sounded just like the Dura Tower (an Indiana address too).
Several hams ordered them but I don't think anyone ever got a tower.

5.    Lunar Communications (based in Sioux City, Iowa) advertsied a log
periodic, a rotor, and both a self supporting and guyed tower in a 1972 CQ.
They said buying the entire "system" saved you $$$$.   I never heard of this
company again and a search on the internet turns up ziltch.  Not to be
confused with the Lunar firm run by a KB6 that specialized in UHF/VHF
Antennas.

If you know of any of these firms send me a private e-mail and I will
publish the results.

73 Dave K4JRB