[TowerTalk] Adding guys to self supporting towers

[Gary and Arlene Johnson]

Inquiring Minds Want To Know:

Assuming one had a crank up tower made out of three 20 foot sections 
(nominally 50-55 feet fully extended), why would guying the bottom 20 foot 
piece of the tower be a bad thing??  It would seem to an under-educated mind 
that it would strengthen the tower.  That said, to my under-educated mind, 
the reason for having a crank up tower would be to keep it stored at it's 
lowest setting unless the tower was actually in use and IF ever left 
extended, at least the top section would be retracted, thus lowering at 
least part of the tower out of the wind field.

I guess I am assuming that a crank up tower isn't meant to be extended fully 
All of The Time, only being brought down when work was needed on the 
antennas, or in the event of a storm/high winds.  My problem is that here in 
Texas storms "jump up (or at least used to)" sometimes unannounced in the 
middle of the night.  I liken bringing a tower down the same as I view 
closing my gates and the windows on my car.

Are towers not designed to be run up and down frequently - as needed??

Gary J
N5BAA