[TowerTalk] Advice on Tower

[Russell Hill]

I have the Tashjian 4 section 72' motorized crankup, with 18 feet of .25" 
wall 2" mast sticking out the top, either 2 or 3 antennae mounted, 
depending.  Even fully nested, the antennas are good for casual use.  In the 
configuration I call "half-nested" which has the bottom of section 3 at the 
top of section 1, and the bottom of section 4 at the top of section 2, 
therefore the top about 48 feet up, I have full overlap of sections for 
extra windload capability, and the top antenna is about 65' high.   (My top 
antenna is a 40M dipole, the middle and lower are 10-15-20 various 
combinations, depending.)

I only extend full height for contests, with a careful eye on the weather. 
My system is not big-gun competitive, but I have a lot of fun with it.

The tower base was professionally done by a company in central Texas.  I 
wouldn't consider trying to do it myself.  Too much risk.

I would do everything exactly the same if I were to do it again.  The next 
significant upgrade would be to grow a tower to about 100', or go to 
multiple towers, and for me the cost was not worth the expected gain.  And I 
can work at the top of the retracted tower from rooftop-- makes a great work 
platform for this OF, a great safety plus.  If I strap myself to the mast I 
can reach up to lower the middle antenna down so I can work on it or the 
bottom antenna from rooftop.  The only antenna I cannot get to is the top 
antenna-- I need to rent a cherry picker to get to that one.

Oh, and I have had good suppport from Tashjian.

73,
Rusty, na5tr


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dick Green WC1M" <wc1m at msn.com>
To: <w4lde at numail.org>; "'TowerTalk'" <towertalk at contesting.com>; "'SteppIR 
Yahoo Group'" <steppir at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, June 23, 2008 12:54 AM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Advice on Tower


> Ron,
>
> You're asking the right questions.
>
Remainder truncated for brevity.