[TowerTalk] cheap hams

[K8RI on TowerTalk]

<snip>>
> For my instalation http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/Tower29.htm
> and http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/Tower26.htm
> Considering tower, concrete, antennas, and guy line, and anchors with me
> doing all the work we'd be looking at between two and three years worth. 
> Add
> an engineer and I'll bet it'd come to about 4 years worth not counting 
> dorm
> fees.
>
> OTOH I quite a very good paying job as an instrument tech to go back to
> college after working for 26 years.
> If I consider lost wages that makes the $7143 look absolutely cheap! <:-))
> Graduated with a BS in CS at age 50, worked 7 years and retired.  OK, so 
> I'm
> a slow learner<:-))
>

<snip>

OTOH 22 years ago I had nothing more than a 40 foot American steel TV tower 
with a dirt base, one set of guy wires (3-point) just below the top and a 
big tri-bander on top.  That thing withstood winds every bit as strong as 
the big system that is up now.  Two differences though.  If it fell over it 
wouldn't have hit anything and the tri-bander was at the top, without a big 
6-meter antenna 15 feet above it and  a pair of 144 and a pair of 440 
antennas about 15 feet above that.

Also at one time (35 years ago) I had 40 feet of the stuff bracketed to the 
end of the house. I still had the one set of guys just below the top.  That 
one also used a dirt base.

Roger Halstead (K8RI and ARRL 40 year Life Member)
N833R - World's oldest Debonair CD-2
www.rogerhalstead.com (Use return address from home page)