[TowerTalk] Tree mounting yagi

[W7CE]

>
> Question: How do you keep the rotator bearings round if you try rotating a
> large yagi when it's not perfectly level?  Does this really work, and last
> any reasonable length of time?  I've worn out bearings with large beams 
> when
> they were only about 1 degree off level, so I can't imagine what happens
> with 5 degrees...
>
> -WB2WIK/6
>

I mounted a Cushcraft A3 (with 40M dipole) using a Ham-IV rotator at 95' on 
a Douglas Fir tree that was topped by the previous owner.  That was in 1984 
and everything is still working ok.  The only maintenance has been keeping 
the branches pruned as they try to grow through the elements (3 or 4 times 
in 22+ years) and replacing the coax a couple of years ago.  I should 
mention that the antenna is not quite level.  I'm pretty sure it was at 
installation time, but as the trunk has grown in diameter it seems to have 
tilted the mast a little bit.

The A3 is giving me some problems on 40 & 20M, so I'm going to take it down 
this spring and replace it with a 3 element SteppIR with 40/30 meters.  At 
the the same time I'll put a new Tailtwister rotator up.  Overall, the tree 
has been a great tower and most of the neighbors have never even noticed the 
yagi.

You can see pictures of my installation at:

www.w7ce.com/antenna.html

73,
Clay  W7CE