[TowerTalk] Towers...

[Bob Lombardi]

Hi,


I'm a newbie here, only been reading/subscribed for about 10 days.

I have a small tower, a 25' single section Aluma.  It has been great, but I 
(of course) want to replace it with something bigger.  I'm currently 
looking for something in the 50' range, and have sort of decided on another 
Aluma, the T50H.  This is rated for 15 sq ft in 80 mph winds.  I currently 
have less than 10 sq ft, although that could grow, too.

One of the things that has worked out best with my tower is that I made it 
crank over by sinking an 8' long, 3" diameter steel pole into the ground 
and using a boat winch to lower the tower to a convenient place to work on 
my antennas.  Last year, we had 3 of the 4 hurricanes to hit Florida, and I 
was able to get the antennas off and safely stowed in about half an 
hour.  Being able to get the antennas off the tower quickly in case of 
emergency is a priority (in fact, it would be best if my 4'10" wife could 
do it if I was ever in a cast or something).  Also, we're in the saltiest 
air in North America, so steel is something I'm concerned about.  My Aluma 
still looks good.

Because of that, I'm looking at the Aluma MP2 mounting pole for this 
tower.  This would allow it to fold over from about 6' up for service, and 
crank up from 25 to 50' for operating.  But before I do this, I'd like to 
see if there are any better options.  First off, does anyone have 
experience with these towers they can comment on?  Second, who else makes 
something more or less equivalent?  Any recommendations for a crank up/fold 
over tower in the 50' range?



Thanks,
Bob
W4ATM in Melbourne, FL