[TowerTalk] tower common sense

[Tom Rauch]

> A building inspector in my area once told me, that in most
cases homes
> built by  homeowners are better built than those built by
"pros".

I swear this is a true story!

I removed a partially completed new Rohn 45G from a SK's
estate in Mississippi. I was told the installation was by
one of the best tower installers in the entire state
Mississippi.

It had:

Rohn 45 pier plate with holes drilled in it to fit the old
25G sticking out of the ground. All welds had broken (they
actually never penetrated) and the tower was pivoting on the
bead around one leg of the 25. The other two legs of the 25
broke right off from too much penetration.

7/16" clamps on 1/4 inch EHS, installed randomly backwards.
Of course that didn't matter because they would not tighten
up anyway.

3/16 inch grips on other areas of  the 1/4 inch guy cable.
That must have been a job!

Guy lines through the tower to the leg on the opposite side.

Each guy anchor actually went to a different leg at each
level.

The anchors were leaving the ground pointed AWAY from the
tower.

The Mosley 40-10 meter big trap tribander was held on with
one clamp.

There was a hammer hooked over the tower rung at the top. I
shook a guyline to make the hammer fall, but the only thing
that happened was the guyline parted at an insulator.

Of course I properly guyed the 100 ft tower at two levels
before taking it down. The only thing he didn't do wrong was
install the tower upside down. I'm sure the pier plate saved
him from that mistake.

73 Tom