[TowerTalk] Used Tower, Junk or Good find?

[Bill Aycock]

Bobby- to the main question- junk or ?, only an experienced eye can tell 
for sure, but using your head will help. The general rule pushed to the 
limit (with good reason) on TowerTalk is to do what the manufacturer says 
do. To follow this rule, one needs to get THE WORD from the Mfg. (assumed 
to be Rohn. The data book, aka catalog, is available from Champion Radio. 
This has the specs to be followed in doing over 90% of what you need to do 
to have a safe and functional tower.
This list is run by the tower guru who (for all practical purposes) IS 
Champion Radio, so you are at the right place already
Good luck- Bill-W4BSG.

At 09:36 PM 4/15/2003 -0400, you wrote:

>OK guys, never had a tower (or beam for that matter) and am finally moving
>toward that goal after all these years.  I have the used Cushcraft ATB-34 4
>element tri-bander and picked up a used tower today.  Is the tower I bought
>junk?  $158.05 and here are the details:
>
>5 galvanized sections, 10 feet each overall, 9' 8.5" when mated to each
>other.  Triangular shape, 5/16" O.D. "Z" bracing (horizontal across and then
>angle down to horizontal across, etc...), 12.5" from tube outside to tube
>outside on a side, 1.25" diameter.  Two holes in each leg for bolting to the
>next section, top is 1/4" bolt, 5/16" bolt on bottom.
>
>Details on top section (6th section):
>
>18" tube for antenna mounting, 2" O.D., 1.875"  I.D. with two bushings top
>and bottom reducing to 1.25".  Maybe knock out the bushings to accomodate a
>decent size mast.  No rotator plate (but want/need one for HD-73 rotator).
>
>I have hopes to put the lower 2-3' of the bottom section in concrete, and use
>one set of guys? (at what height?) for about 57' total height and the ATB-34
>on top.  Any advice or pointing to guying information/tutorial would be
>appreciated.
>
>So, is this Rohn 25G? 20G? Some cheap TV grade thing?  Can I use it for the
>ATB-34 with proper support?  How to tell 20G from 25G? (information looks the
>same from what I could tell).
>
>Where to get accessories?  Rotator plate?  Guys clamp?  Thrust bearing?
>Etc...?
>
>Thanks and 73,
>
>Bob, WA2T
>

Bill Aycock - W4BSG
Woodville, Alabama