[TowerTalk] Aluminum tower welds...Old Data circa mid1970's..........

[res1q6fs]

Well, not sure what you mean by "regular" tower inspections. Once a month 
seems a little extreme to me, unless you live in a extreme environment near 
the coast and where there are constant high winds, corrosive atmosphere, 
etc. How many of you out there inspect their towers every month, up and 
down, as David suggests he does? I assume by your comment you do. That's 
fine.

I have a couple of repeaters on a 450 ft. tower where I used to work and I 
only see them inspecting it once a year on a regular basis. Yes, it is a lot 
more beefier than mine and no doubt requires monthly inspections, but not 
every month are they scrambling up the tower to the tune of many $$ the 
higher they climb.  However, this "fella" did not, as a matter of course, 
have an inspection routine ever so often, but would notice, as a matter of 
common sense, if there was a problem as I climbed it. Previous to noticing 
the cracked welds, I had climbed the tower a number of times over the short 
time I had owned the tower and usually looked at the bolts, etc. as I 
climbed. I was never fond of climbing the tower, so a short trip up a 50 ft. 
tower would be a little longer for me as I slowly climbed. Hindsight always 
being 20/20, now I do notice things a lot more, especially now that I have a 
crankup tower with the cables, etc. I realize that product will and should 
demand more frequent inspections, as nothing is holding the two tower 
sections up more than a single cable and winch.

Roger W5RD


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Jordan" <wa3gin at comcast.net>
To: <n8de at thepoint.net>; "'res1q6fs'" <roger.white at verizon.net>
Cc: "'towertalk'" <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 9:33 AM
Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] Aluminum tower welds...Old Data circa 
mid1970's..........


> ...one thing is for sure anyone with a tower should be inspecting the 
> tower
> at least once a month for faults.  These are man made devices and subject 
> to
> human errors as well as damage from mother nature.
>
> When I read the comment from the fella that was climbing his tower and
> noticed that he had open welds I thought to myself, here is a guy that
> doesn't perform regular tower inspections.
>
> Be Safe,
> Dave
> Wa3gin
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of n8de at thepoint.net
> Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 9:19 AM
> To: res1q6fs
> Cc: towertalk
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Aluminum tower welds...Old Data circa mid1970's
> ..........
>
> I think you must have gotten a bad batch of tower welds, as I have had
> no problems like you describe with any of my Universal sections EXCEPT
> for the sections that were felled by tornadoes!
> One of those sections had ONE weld broken which I have had repaired by
> a local welding shop that knew exactly how to do the job.
> The biggest problems with the aluminum towers are:
>
>
>
>
> -- 
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