[TowerTalk] How to Level a Crank-up?

[K8RI]

On 1/2/2012 2:41 PM, Gene Fuller wrote:
> As most of us know, there's almost always at least a little breeze at 100
> feet , however Steve's problem with a crankup is only with 20 feet.
I thought the way he worded it he wanted to check the level extended.

For roughly 20 bucks you can purchase a Laser level accurate to 1/16" in 
16 to 20 feet.  That's only a 1/4 inch at 80 feet.
The accuracy for low priced levels varies widely so if you go that 
route, check the accuracy before taking it home.

73

Roger (K8RI)
> Gene / W2LU
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "K8RI"<K8RI-on-TowerTalk at tm.net>
> To:<towertalk at contesting.com>
> Sent: Monday, January 02, 2012 2:21 PM
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] How to Level a Crank-up?
>
>
>> On 1/2/2012 1:25 PM, Gene Fuller wrote:
>>> On a calm day, you could hang a string, with a small weight on the end,
>>> from
>>> the top of each tower leg.    Gene / W2LU
>> It's easier to hand the string from the top of the tower, down the inside.
>> OTOH I have never found a day calm enough to do this with  a  tower
>> taller than 40 feet.   I use the Transit level weight which comes to a
>> point.
>>
>> Even an what felt like calm days the string would move off to one side
>> and it was very difficult to detect. Around here those days are very
>> rare.  With the 100 foot 45 G even on those hot sultry (suffocating)
>> calm summer days I find a light breeze at the top.
>> I used one of the laser transits, although a laser level would be much
>> cheaper.  However some of then are barely good enough to square up a
>> small room.
>>
>> Mine is a guyed tower (45G) and the bottom two sections were carefully
>> leveled. Then the level was checked with each set of guys added. When I
>> got to the top it was just a matter of tightening the guys a 40 or 30#
>> at a time. So it went up straight.
>>
>> With a crank up you can only level it for a calm day.  I think you will
>> find it will be surprisingly straight, except on really windy days and
>> those are when you want to crank it down anyway.
>>
>> 73
>>
>> Roger (K8RI)
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Steve Jones"<n6sj at earthlink.net>
>>> To:<towertalk at contesting.com>
>>> Sent: Monday, January 02, 2012 12:42 PM
>>> Subject: [TowerTalk] How to Level a Crank-up?
>>>
>>>
>>>> I want to level my new US Tower HDX-589.  I put a 4' carpenter's level
>>>> on
>>>> all three legs of the base section and have levelled them.  This is all
>>>> US
>>>> Tower recommends.
>>>>
>>>> Is there anything more I can do?  I have heard of using two theodolytes
>>>> with
>>>> it fully extended.  But I figure the sections must lean a bit due to the
>>>> clearances that allow them to slide past each other.  I don't want to
>>>> tilt
>>>> the bottom section to compensate for that lean, since different antenna
>>>> loads or wind loads will probably make it lean different directions.
>>>>
>>>> With the bottom section leveled, am I done?
>>>>
>>>> 73,
>>>> Steve
>>>> N6SJ
>>>>
>>>>
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