[TowerTalk] [Fwd: Towers Brought Down!]

[Cqtestk4xs at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/17/2007 1:16:59 P.M. Greenwich Standard Time,  
n4zr at contesting.com writes:

What  does surprise me, though, is that it is standard practice in the 
business for  ham-sized guyed towers to use only three ground anchor points, to each 
of  which all the guys on that side are connected through equalizer plates.   
I'm sure the theory is that a guy wire will break before the guy anchor does, 
 but it seems to me that putting the top guy set on separate anchor rods 
(maybe  even in the same concrete foundation, but a few feet further out) would  
provide a useful bit of redundancy and prevent the whole thing falling over  
like a cut tree if the anchor rod fails, through corrosion or other unseemly  
contingency.

73, Pete N4ZR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Good point and that may have been the key to my tower's success in the  
accident.  Because I had a high wind load, substandard soil and a high  water table 
I did just that.  On the two Rohn 55 200 footers I had, the  bottom two sets 
of guys were set out around 70 or 80 feet.  The upper three  were out the 
usual 150-160 feet.
It costs more to do it (more concrete and rebar), involves more labor, but  I 
felt it was worth it.
 
On the Rohn charts, the only time they go to this system is when they have  
more than 5 guy points since the biggest plate they make is a five holer (no,  
not an Italian kilowatt).
 
Bill K4XS/KH7XS