[TowerTalk] t-150 aluma tower

[Gene Bigham]

Earlier this year I purchased a used Aluma Tower t-150, this is their A & B section which makes it the smallest foot print Aluma makes.  I have a Cushcraft A3S on it mounted on top of the rotator which is mast mounted on the very top of the top section.  The mast is short and there is a small vhf/uhf beam above the A3S.

I also found a very good 12vdc electric winch t-1500 that is rated for 1,500 lbs. and has powered forward and reverse, dynamic braking, and freespooling.  I am considering mounting the winch to the side of the house at about the midpoint of the outer tower section height and attaching the winch to the tower so that it might be used to lower and raise again the tower/antenna assembly by the winch.  The tower base has a couple of aluminum hinges anchored in concrete and around the bottom rung which allows for tilt over.  The tower is house bracketed at about the 16 foot level and has two additional small stainless cable guys to eye hooks in the house.

It was erected with two people walking the completely assembled tower/antennas up while a third pulled on a rope through a large eye hook in the house at about the level I am thinking of placing the winch.  This method was a bit precarious and exhausting work.  The winch would take most of the work out of lowering and raising, and two persons could use the existing guys and eye hooks with ropes attached to each in order to control lateral movement of the tower as it goes down or up.

Any thoughts, comments, experiences?

Thanks Gene Bigham, KB0GU.