[TowerTalk] Attaching utility box to tower face

[Dick Dievendorff]

A metal box would probably work with a short inside length U-bolt, but the
plastic box has at least 3/4" of "waffle" on its back.  That makes it a lot
stronger, but more difficult to mount with U-bolts with short inside length.
The combination of small inside width and long inside length may be
difficult to locate. I do see 3/4" ID U-bolts with 2-3/4" length, so it's
not insurmountable, especially if I add some buffering material around the
tower rung before clamping a U-bolt on.

I think my best choices are three or four P-shaped cushioned clamps that go
around the tower rung and screw into back panel mounting bosses or a
UniStrut channel fastened to the back of the box horizontally (top and
bottom) with clamps to the tower rungs.

The box isn't as wide as the tower legs.  I'd prefer to avoid clamping to
the tower legs.  I have a 2 x 8 antenna switch to clamp on a leg already. I
hope that will mount inside the tower, but it may be dangling outside.

Or maybe I can find a U-shaped channel that fastens in a couple of places on
the top back and hang it over a rung, and use a P-clamp for the bottom.  The
available horizontal tower rungs at the junction of the concrete base
section and the lowest 10' section seem to line up well with the mounting
bosses on the back of the box.

Thanks to all for the suggestions!  I had not heard of Unistrut before.
I'll spend some time at the local Home Despot looking it (or SuperStrut)
over.

73 de Dick, K6KR


-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Bob K6UJ
Sent: Sunday, November 06, 2011 4:51 PM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Attaching utility box to tower face

how about these 

http://www.boltdepot.com/Product-Details.aspx?product=12481

Bob
K6UJ



On Nov 6, 2011, at 4:44 PM, Phil Snyder wrote:

> I've not done this on a tower face but how about a couple of flat pcs 
> of aluminum on the inside of the tower with bolts from inside the box 
> through the plate.
> 
> Phil
> N9LAH
> 
> On 11/6/2011 5:25 PM, Dick Dievendorff wrote:
>> I have a plastic utility box that will contain lightning arrestors 
>> and TVS
>> 
>> diodes for rotator control lines. I’d like to attach it to the face 
>> of my tower (Rohn 55G).  The tower rungs are on the order of 7/16” in
diameter.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I thought about using four U-bolts with ½” OD, but the only ones I’ve 
>> found that small are DX Engineering saddle clamps, and I don’t need 
>> that saddle (I know they sell the hardware replacement kit, that’s where
I’m leaning).
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Another possibility is something like a hose clamp with a stud coming 
>> out of it, but the smallest I’ve found of those is ½” and that may 
>> not get small enough.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Or perhaps a P-shaped cable clamp with rubberized contact area with 
>> the tower rung.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I could use a couple of U- or V-bolts and attach it to a vertical 
>> tower leg, but then it would stick out.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> How have you attached a utility box to the face of your tower?
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 73 de Dick, K6KR
>> 
>> 
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>> 
>> 
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