[TowerTalk] Antenna supports for swampy high-wind area

[Jim Lux]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Swirsky-Warner" <swirsky at gmail.com>
To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2005 10:56 AM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Antenna supports for swampy high-wind area


> Folks:
>
> Finally, after 28 years in amateur radio, I've got enough land for a
> proper antenna farm: 20 acres with NO HOA, CC&Rs, etc.
>
> The bad news is that 15 of these 20 acres are a little swampy, and
> it's a hurricane-prone area (central florida).
>
> I was hoping to put up a wire antenna farm. A several-element delta
> loop pointed at Europe, and one pointing West for 40 meters.
>
> Any suggestions for antenna masts in swampy, sandy soil with high wind
problems?

What does the local utility use for poles? How are they supported?  What
about cell towers and tall light poles (like at freeway interchanges). What
about AM radio stations? The local FHP (or other public safety) dispatch
center probably has some sort of short tower with a bunch of   antennas on
it. Not that you'll use the same methods (unless you have a huge
budget<grin>), but a bit of kicking around in the weeds at the bases of such
things can tell you a lot about what sort of foundations and bases they are
using.