[TowerTalk] Looking for some tower advice

[Alan C. Zack]

Hi Jim,
I was in your same position about 6 months ago.  At first I planned to 
use a US Towers tower as I had visited their factory several times as 
part of the Intl DX Convention at Visalia and their towers seemed to 
be what I needed.  Then I discovered I needed IBC-2000, 90 MPH wind 
calcs for my bldg permit.  US Towers could provide UBC-97 75 MPH wind 
calcs but not the 90 MPH.  After my repeated calls asking just which 
of their towers could pass 90 MPH wind calcs UST finally told me that 
they could not get the 90 MPH wind calcs for me and didn't seem to 
want to help me get them.  I gave up on UST and contacted Drake 
Dimitry at Heights Tower.  Drake was able to provide the 90 MPH wind 
calcs my bldg dept required right away and has helped me in every step 
of the way during my installation.  I am at the point now of just 
having my 4 ft bottom section of my fold over kit base installed a 
couple of days ago onto my base and this weekend should have the rest 
of the tower connected to the FOK and up in the air.

I have the 40' Heights crank up aluminum tower (Model CUA40) with the 
motorized fold over kit.  The heavy duty 16 ft mast will put my 
antenna up to about 55 ft.  I chose the 40 ft tower only because my 
city will issue a bldg permit for towers 45 ft or less without a 
variance.  Over 45 ft I would need a variance meaning all my neighbors 
would be sent a letter and their comments would be invited and there 
could be a city hearing.  I wanted to avoid any variances or hearings 
and so got the permit for the 40 ft tower.

Based on my experience I would go for the Heights Towers.  Two people 
can carry the CUA40 around the yard but we plan on using four people 
to hold it steady in a horiz position when we attach it to the FOK 
base for the final part of the installation.  I don't think you could 
do that with a steel tower.


Jim Aguirre wrote:

> I'm relocating to a new QTH soon and will be putting up a couple of 
> new towers.  My first priority is to get a modest tower up alongside 
> the house to carry VHF/UHF and Microwave antennas...6M through 23CM.  
> The second...and, possibly, third...tower(s) can come a bit later.
> 
> I will be purchasing new towers, so have some choices to make 
> regarding styles, material (aluminum or steel) and options.  Here are 
> some of the criteria I have in mind for the first tower.
> 
> I'm looking for something about 50' in height, 15-20 square foot 
> antenna capacity, freestanding (don't want guy wires cluttering up 
> the yard), tiltover design of some sort for easy antenna work.  Not 
> necessary to be telescoping unit, but could be.
> 
> I've been looking at a couple of possibilities: a 55' US Tower 
> tubular (MA-550MDP) with freestanding, rotatable base or a 48' 
> Heights aluminum tower (Model 48-23-90) with "foldover" base.  While 
> the US Tower unit wouldn't carry 15-20 sq ft of antenna extended, it 
> could do so retracted.  Heights offers a 48-footer rated at 23 sq ft 
> in 90 MPH wind.
> 
> I will probably need at least 12' of mast above the top ot the tower 
> on which to stack the antennas.  With the rotatable tubular, that 
> doesn't look like a problem; not sure with the Heights tower.
> 
> Any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.
> 
> Jim
> 
> 
> 
> 

-- 
__________________________________________________________________________ 

Alan Zack
Amateur Radio Station K7ACZ
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Quality Engineer, The Boeing Company, Retired
Aviation Chief Warrant Officer, U.S. Coast Guard, Retired
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