[TowerTalk] advice sought

Sun Oct 21 10:16:03 EDT 2007

Hi Art

First of all,, forget the vertical and I don't care what brand of vertical 
it is.

If it were me, I'd pay the 2500 bucks and go with a free standing tower.  In 
the end, that would be another reason to stay where you are  come 5 years 
from now.

That being said, Are you familiar with the AB 577 rocket launchers or its 
slightly heavier duty  brother the AB-621??

Google  AB-577 ans then follow the links.  These tubular crank up masts 
typically run 400- $500 apiece. They can be put up or taken down  in less 
than an hour and come with their own guying system.  I  have a 90 foot tower 
here but for  sweepstakes (in order to maximize the PVRC score)
I loan out the rocket launcher, rotor,  TH-3 and rotor to club members who 
agree to make at least 400 Q's.   N4DLD used it last year.  At W3PP Dallas
has 3 or 4 of these,  one holds a 5 EL 10 M beam, another a 4 EL 15. W3PP. 
Dallas leaves his up year round.  As it comes out of the canvas army bags, 
the rocket launchers use  a 4 wire guy system.  MIne came with the  tube 
carrier which holds six 8 foot "tubes". The base with the elevator takes 
three -  3 foot stakes pounded in the ground to keep the base from moving. 
The 4 guy wires also fasten to a 3 three foot heavy duty metal stakes.  The 
rocket launcher is guyed at 3 levels.

N4DLD put the rocket launcher up exactly as described but last year but 
thinking ahead to this year,  He put down 4 mobile  tie-down screw in 
anchors which will be ready next week when he puts the rocket launcher back 
up.  This will cut the install time in half.

My C31 at 90 feet is too high for the 10M contest so I usually put a C-4 on 
the rocket launcher at 45 or 50 feet.  This has worked so well that 
yesterday I  poured a permanent base at the end of the house. Because of the 
shrubbery, hedge and some japanese maples, the neighbors will not even see 
the base.I am making a house bracket for the rocket launcher (probably not 
necessary) and will put down permanent screw in anchors.  With the base in 
place and permanent anchors installed I can have the rocket launcher at 20 
feet in 5 minutes,  set the rotor and C-4 on the rocket launcher and have it 
at 50 feet in about 30 minutes. When not in use, I store the rocket launcher 
in a work shed.

2 years ago, I didn't take the C4 down right after the 10M contest like I 
usually do.  I have some pix of the  C-4 covered with snow and the elements 
almost touching the ground.  While I did not take the rocket launcher down, 
I did have it cranked down to about 10 feet so the neighbors couldn't see 
it.  The Rocket launcher easily holds a C-4 and supports a couple of 
inverted Vee's.  A  c-31 would be pushing the envelope but you might be able 
to get a shorter boom skyhawk all of which are better than the vertical.

If you are not familiar with the AB-577  AB-621 I have some pictures I could 
send you.  If you can get one, go with the 621 as it is slightly more sturdy 
but a little bit harder to find. Rocket launchers are available from K4TMC, 
from some surplus company in Canada and at various military surplus 
facilities. W3PP has both the 577 and the 621 models,  I believe Dallas 
purchased one extra section for the 621 and has that one at 60 feet.  I also 
purchased an extra section but  have not yet tried going to 60 feet.

One year  K3FT came here to operate, we put the rocket launcher up using 
just the pounded in guy stakes in the dark Friday night in the rain.  The 
first neighbor never even noticed it until about noon on Saturday.  He came 
over and asked how long I planned to keep that  "thing"  up.  I told him it 
would be down by 7 pm on sunday.  He said ok, I have no problem with that. 
If anyone else noticed it , no one else ever said anything.   I typically 
put the rocket launcher up for both SS weekends and the 10M contest and put 
it up pointed south to get the south american multipliers on the years I 
can't make it to W3PP.

This is a great temporary or permanent "tower"  for townhouse or apartment 
dwellers  or people with small yards.  Although I would not want to duke it 
out with the city building or zoning inspectors,  since it is a TEMPORARY 
installation and I do take it down, I don't think a building or zoning 
permit is required.

Press on regardless

73

Chet   N4FX
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <atrampler at att.net>
To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 20, 2007 10:24 PM
Subject: [TowerTalk] advice sought

> How long would you want to expect to be in a home to justify the expense 
> of a tower install versus other antennas?
>
> I have a small backyard (70' x 100' roughly) with three trees in/around it 
> that are no good for dipoles or other wire antennas, but enough room to 
> squeeze a tower between them.  I also have a Hy-Gain AV640 ready to go up 
> for 30/40 meter coverage, and a roughly 20' tall, foldover support (4" 
> OD/3.5" ID diameter pipe on lower section) to get that vertical up a bit, 
> which allegedly helps the improvement.
>
> Due to health issues (someone else's) I have access to a free Glen Martin 
> 50', 18" on a side tower/hazer and Mosley TA-53M.  My xyl wants the 
> guy-wires elevated, and I live on top of limestone.  Short story: to put 
> this up, I'm looking (with coax, new rotor cable, etc) at about $2500, 
> another $1000 if I want to push it to 60' (which with the trees I might).
>
> Now my wife is talking about moving in two to five years...
>
> Would you guys put up a tower if you thought you'd be moving in that 
> time-frame, or settle for a vertical?  I may just sell the NIB AV640 and 
> put up a Big Steppir vertical instead...I couldn't lay down 66' radials, 
> or many that long, but I could have most longer than 35 feet, so 80 might 
> be OK.  From all I read, lay down 180 radials or so and I'd likely have a 
> much better performer out of the Big Steppir vertical than the 3/8 wave 
> Hy-Gain.
>
> I know this is slightly off-topic, but it is tower-related.  WIth the 
> small yard the guyed tower is not optimal, of course.  The AN Wireless 
> self-supporting towers look much more attractive and while needing more 
> concrete, don't need the concrete for guy supports, more phillystran, etc.
>
> Advice is warmly welcomed and accepted.  This is not going to be a contest 
> station--ever--but a relaxing improvement over my mobile set up (where I 
> worked 3B7C on 40, barefoot...).  For contests I'm part of the stable at 
> K5GO.
>
> FYI, the free tower belongs to my dad, N0JT.  At 84 he has so much trouble 
> getting up and down to and from the basement that he doesn't go on the 
> air, and I am TRYING to convince him to let me move the rig/amp/rotor 
> control into his bedroom.  Wish me luck...I'd rather seem him have a few 
> weeks, months or years of pleasure than just give it to me because of the 
> stairs.  But OTs can be stubborn, right?
>
> 73,
> Art, KC2G
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
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