[TowerTalk] New Tower installation

[Doug Renwick]

The others gave the easy answers but you, as always, gave the practical,
empirical answer.
What are the length, helix diameter and depth of insertion on those
grain bin anchors?

Doug

I'll run the race and I will never be the same again. 
-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Don Moman VE6JY
Sent: November 14, 2009 3:53 PM
To: TOWERTALK at contesting. com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] New Tower installation

Put one in and measure it.  Then you know.  Everyone is quick to say
it's
not enough and to do "what the manufacturer says". What you need to do
is
have a safe and practical installation for your tower situation.

I recently helped put up a 100' L&R 20" face guyed tower (2 el 40 on
top).
We used grain bin anchors of the type described here - common and easy
to
find in the local farm stores.  "Real" anchors were quoting a 6 week
delivery time and winter was coming.  I wasn't convinced they were
enough -
so we screwed two in at each anchor and pulled 5000 lbs on each (front
end
loader and a Dillon tension gauge) and nothing moved.  And yes they were
in
line with the guys.

Yes I'd prefer longer rods and a bigger helix but these will do the job
for
now.  We can always screw in another backup anchor when available.

I would, however, worry more about two other factors that have not been
mentioned:
 1 - the galvanizing -or lack of - on the anchors - some of them are
merely
painted and obviously would not last as long in some soil conditions.
And
remember you always need at least one insulator in each guy to prevent
differences in ground potentials causing corrosion and early failure of
the
anchor rod.
and 2- make sure the eye is not just bent over - it needs to be either
formed or welded shut.

73 Don
VE6JY