[TowerTalk] Crank up Tower

Sun Feb 24 22:46:49 EST 2008

OK, I was going to stay out of this aluminum tower discussion, as I am
definitely going to say some things that go beyond the manufacturer's
design.  K7LXC please cover your eyes and ears! :-)

I own an Alumna T-140 which I cheerfully use to hold up a mast that goes
about fifteen feet (Not the original mast either!) above the homemade top
bearing and contains a Ham-IV near the top.  The antennas are a Directive
Systems 5 element 6m yagi, a Directive Systems 10 element yagi, an M2 7
element 222 yagi and a Cushcraft 432 yagi (I forget how many elements, but
it is really long!).

I took two ten foot lengths of aluminum L-channel and reinforced two of the
legs.  They are u-bolted to the lower section.  

I then added a 2+ ft by eight inch piece of 3/8 plate aluminum to make a
pivot plate across the two pieces of L-channel.  This plate is U-bolted to a
3/4 inch galvanized (1 inch OD) pipe that is inserted through two sixteen
foot 8 x 8 pressure treated poles that are sunk just over four feet into the
clay in my yard.  

I now have a really nice tilt-over crank-up tower that I can use to support
antennas in my cramped back yard.  The short 222 antenna is on top and just
clears the bump-out on the back of my house by a couple of inches when I
tilt it over.

The best part is that I have an archway going onto my deck that I use to
hold a temporary "T" that catches the top of the tower when it is
horizontal, so I just simply run an eight foot ladder across my deck to do
antenna work once the tower is down and tilted.

Oh yes!  How do I tilt it you might ask?  A piece of doubled up 11mm static
line wrapped through all three legs near the bottom and my "girlish" 240 lbs
self just heaves it over or back up!  Works great!  No one needs to be under
the tower, and you don't need to overcome the < 90 degree position!

I am happy with my Alumna and would love to have a couple of "surplus"
pieces to use independently for various projects!  Alumna or Heights haters
please note!  :-)
I can help you get that unsightly evil aluminum tower out of your life! :-)
73,
Gordon Beattie, W2TTT
201.314.6964

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of WA3GIN
Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2008 11:57 PM
To: Larry stowell; towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Crank up Tower

I wonder if those blowing smoke on the product ever owned one?  Seems like 
sometimes folks just make a sideways comment that is really not much more 
than a commenter's subjective opinion of "one"...sort of like those wacki 
e-ham reviews where the new ham is blowing smoke about a really good radio 
because he hasn't figured out how to operate it, haha.

Folks considering Aluma Tower have probably already visited the company's 
web site http://www.alumatower.com/ .  There are some pretty impressive 
testimonials from Emergency Management Officials from Florida (the folks 
that deal with severe weather for a living...).

I've seen the trailer tower product that Aluma Tower offers for emergency 
responders. Its hardly patio furniture.  Well built, old school welds and a 
seriously well designed tower trailer product!

My subjective opinion of one ;-)

73,
dave
wa3gin

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Larry stowell" <lclarks at nc.rr.com>
To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2008 2:25 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Crank up Tower

>
> My friends I take acceptation to all this crankup tower "stuff".
>
> I have a 75HD Aluma tower, if it "lawn furniture" I'll invite the 
> elephants over to sit. I could not
> afford to have a 75ft tower erected and do not have friends to help as I 
> had just moved from out of
> state. Nor did I have or want guys at ground or elevated. So that left me 
> with the only option in a
> crank-up. I Looked at US towers and was quoted $2500 for shipping(this was

> before the Mid-west
> shipping). I installed the Aluma by myself and used the "ground post" so 
> no concrete, its been up
> for 7 years with a C31XR for 2 yrs and now a 4el SteppIR. I crank-up and 
> down depending on the
> weather and for maintenance( it tilts also and power winch for up and 
> down).
>
> I no that there are several different models in the Aluma line so its not 
> fair to say that the whole
> line is "weak".
>
> 73 Larry K1ZW
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com 
> [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Julio
> Peralta
> Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 2:24 PM
> To: K7LXC at aol.com; towertalk at contesting.com; k0son at frontiernet.net
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Crank up Tower
>
> Steve the tower you described reminds me of the Aluma Tower which is made 
> here in Florida. It very
> closely resembles lawn furniture. The Heights crank up towers, which are 
> also made in Florida, are a
> much stronger constructed tower. They kind of look like an aluminum 
> version of a US Tower. I have
> had experience with both and would not recommend the Aluma Tower but a 
> Heights Tower should be good
> for any load for which they are rated.
>
> Julio, W4HY
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of K7LXC at aol.com
> Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 1:02 PM
> To: towertalk at contesting.com; k0son at frontiernet.net
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Crank up Tower
>
>
> In a message dated 2/23/2008 9:02:49 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, 
> towertalk-request at contesting.com
> writes:
>
>>  I'm new to the list & need some information on Heights  Crank up
> towers
> without the tilt over feature. OK here's the background. I use  to have a 
> 50 ft Universal at my old
> house. I liked the tower, but 50 ft is now  above my
>
> comfort level for working on towers, I'd like to get a crankup and think 
> the Heights would be good
> one. So, I would like to get in contact with anyone who currently owns, or

> has owned a Heights crank
> up. I've read their  web site & now want to talk to owners & get the real 
> story.
>
>
>        A customer of mine bought a  100-foot version. He had never had a 
> tower before and bought it
> because he could  get it in his backyard without too much trouble and then

> he'd have a 100' tower.
> After everything was done, he wanted a professional opinion about his 
> installation. He made one
> fatal error
> in locating the guy anchors which we  corrected.
>
>        EVERYTHING about this tower  was undersized and under-engineered 
> IMO.
> The 3 base bolts were 1/2" or so. The  winch and haul lines were 
> inadequate - the winch got real hot
> as we were  cranking it up. I can't remember if the cables were rope or 
> steel - they  might've been
> rope.
>
>        This was a guyed tower  which meant you had to be VERY careful as 
> it's being cranked up and
> then the guy  tensions were all on the haul cables.
>
>        He called the other day as  he was preparing to lower it and the
>
> safety latch that locked some of the  sections wouldn't release so it 
> wouldn't descend. I suggested
> a couple of things  that I would have done if I'd been there and he went 
> out to lower it. He called
> back a little later and said that he indeed got the safety latch to 
> release but  as he was lowering
> it, the winch got away from him and the whole thing  collapsed. The yagi 
> booms bent and the whole
> tower wound up jammed in the lower  section.
>
>        I was saddened to hear  about his calamity because he made some bad

> decisions that led to
> this  unfortunate occurrence. (OTOH I was glad I wasn't the guy that did 
> it.) I would  never have
> recommended that he buy this tower - 100' of 45G would have been a  much 
> better decision and it'd
> still be in the air for the next 25 years or more.
>
>        If you've got your heart  set on a crank-up, get a US Tower model.
> They're steel, well built and US Tower  has been known to go out of their 
> way for customer service.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve     K7LXC
> TOWER TECH -
> Professional tower services for hams
> Cell: 206-890-4188
> _www.championradio.com/installs.html_
> (http://www.championradio.com/installs.html)
>
>
>
> **************Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living.
>
> (http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campo
> s-duffy/
> 2050827?NCID=aolcmp00300000002598)
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