[TowerTalk] Installing a New Tower - Trylon Titan T200-96'

Tue Jun 28 12:40:08 EDT 2005

You will never know what stations you could not hear.  If you have
nothing to compare to, then everything sounds great.  Yes, my SteppIR
at 40 feet works fairly well, but compared to other stations around
here with higher antennas and/or better locations it's sub-standard. 
It's all about perspective.  Compared to a dipole at 35' it works
well.  Compared to a stack it does not.  Compared to several contest
caliber stations in my area, it is very sub-standard.  Those stations
hear things I can't dream of hearing and the band is open much longer
for them than for me.

One of the planners told me years ago to "just run a wire around the
eaves of your house...it works great...One of my friends did it and it
works great".  Yeah, right!

BTW, a tower IS legal if it is 12'.  A 35' footer (even if attached to
the side of your house) is not considered legal.  That's straight from
a Senior Planners mouth!  You only get 35' if you mount it to the
roof.  If it is ground mounted, the limit is 12'

On 6/28/05, Jerry K3BZ <k3bz at arrl.net> wrote:
> So from what Kelly says, a tower IS legal in San Jose... we're just talking
> about HEIGHT and where the tower is located.  If it's on, beside, or somehow
> attached to an existing structure, apparently the antenna could be at 35
> feet... without a permit.... legally.  I wouldn't find that ideal or even
> desirable, but if it was all I could do....well, life isn't always ideal.
> But that's a far cry from unworkable for an amateur antenna installation.
> It just requires some creativity and compromise.
> 
> I doubt there's anyone today that would say the SteppIR 3L yagi doesn't
> perform well. I think I'm correct that it was developed and tested at 40
> feet, and performs like a champ at that height. Mine is fantastic at 50
> feet.  However, when I have my tower tilted over and the SteppIR 3L is
> pointing straight up, I can still work EU and AF and SA on 20M and 15M, so I
> would be very surprised if performance was seriously degraded at 35 feet.
> Certainly 35 feet is a compromise, but until a better situation develops,
> the existing situation seems very workable.  Not optimum, not perfect, not
> ideal.... but workable.
> 
> 73,  Jerry K3BZ
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Kelly Johnson" <n6kj.kelly at gmail.com>
> To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 11:45 AM
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Installing a New Tower - Trylon Titan T200-96'
> 
> 
> > San Jose is like most cities...the building department won't cite you
> > for an infraction unless someone complains.  If you put one up w/o a
> > permit, then you run the risk that a neighbor WILL complain.  At that
> > point, the building inspector has no option but to cite you and tell
> > you to take it down.  If nobody complains, you're fine, but these days
> > your chances of avoiding a neighbors complaint seem slim.  The risk of
> > a complaint goes up as the size and/or height of the tower/antennas
> > increases.  You'll almost certainly get a complaint if you put
> > something substantial up like a UST HDX or Trylon or similar lattice
> > structure, esp. if you put lots of aluminum up.  There could be legal
> > issues too if a non-permitted tower falls on your neighbors property.
> >
> > San Jose doesn't explicitly state that antenna towers are illegal.
> > Antennas aren't discussed at all in the zoning ordinance, so they lump
> > them under the category of "accessory structures".  Accessory
> > structures are limited to 12 feet in San Jose, thus you can have a 12
> > foot high antenna tower.  You can also mount the antenna to the top of
> > your house in which case it is just considered an "architectural
> > feature" of your house just like a chimney or windvane.  Houses are
> > limited to 35 feet in San Jose, thus your roof mounted antenna can be
> > 35 feet high.  No permit is needed in either case.  The building
> > department refused to accept my permit application for a 72' crankup
> > on the grounds that it is a violation of the zoning ordinance.
> >
> > Anyone out there know how change the laws of physics so that an HF
> > yagi on a 12 foot pole works well :-)
> >
> >
> >
> > On 6/28/05, ChetMoore <ChetMoore at cox.net> wrote:
> > > [Stuff Deleted]
> > >
> > > All that being said,  if San Jose doesn't say it's ILLEGAL  and they are
> > > more or less willing to look the other way,  I would begin construction
> > > today.  Forgiveness is almost always easier to get than permission.
> > >
> > > 73
> > >
> > > Chet  N6ZO
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: <K7LXC at aol.com>
> > > To: <towertalk at contesting.com>; <pewing at plxtech.com>
> > > Sent: Monday, June 27, 2005 11:50 PM
> > > Subject: [TowerTalk] Installing a New Tower - Trylon Titan T200-96'
> > >
> > >
> > > > In a message dated 6/27/2005 4:38:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
> > > > towertalk-request at contesting.com writes:
> > > >
> > > >>  I went to the City of San Jose Building Permits office on Friday and
> > > >> asked
> > > > About the permit process to put up a freestanding 60 ft tower in my
> back
> > > > yard. They said "can't do it" They won't issue tower permits. They
> told me
> > > > That all the towers I see in San Jose are un-permitted. They had heard
> of
> > > > PRB-1 and were in talks with the ARRL.
> > > >
> > > >>  They implied that I should "do what everyone else does".
> > > >
> > > >    That's right. Get a copy of the ARRL tower information (I don't
> know
> > > > what
> > > > the nomenclature of it is - sorry). Get a copy of K1VR's incredible
> book
> > > > on
> > > > towers and zoning, permit, etc. issues. Get a copy of the building
> codes.
> > > > Contact your ARRL representative.
> > > >
> > > >    You don't have any real questions or perspective yet. Do your
> homework
> > > > with the above and THEN head to the building department.
> > > >
> > > >    I know that K6KR screwed things up some years ago so there are
> > > > restrictions but you should be able to do it by jumping thru all the
> > > > hoops. Also the
> > > > ham-law reflector is good when you get to the point of having specific
> > > > questions
> > > > - that's where are the legal eagles hang out.
> > > >
> > > >    LXC Prime Building Department Directive: Find one person in the
> > > > department who is either sympathetic or knowledgeable or both and
> stick
> > > > with them. If
> > > > you talk to 3 different people in the building department you'll wind
> up
> > > > with 3
> > > > different interpretations. Talk to other local hams who have gone thru
> the
> > > > process and talk to them - especially if they can give you a name of
> > > > someone in
> > > > the building department.
> > > >
> > > > Cheers & GL,
> > > > Steve    K7LXC
> > > > TOWER TECH
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > >
> > > > See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers",
> "Wireless
> > > > Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041
> with
> > > > any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
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> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > >
> > > See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless
> Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any
> questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > >
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> > See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless
> Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any
> questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > TowerTalk mailing list
> > TowerTalk at contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> >
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
> See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
> 
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