[TowerTalk] Re-orienting a crank-up tower

[K7LXC at aol.com]

>  We are planning to remodel our home.  After the  remodel, my crankup 
tower
will no longer be capable of tilting over.  I  have never tilted the tower
over since installing it and have no plans to do  so until the tower is
removed.  I am concerned, however, that it will be  difficult to remove the
tower in the future if it is no longer capable of  being tilted over.  I
think the only option would be a really large  crane or helicopter.  I see
several options:
1) Leave the tower as is  and worry about removal when the time comes
2) Move the tower to a new  location
3) Figure out a way to re-build the foundation/base in the existing  tower
location and re-orient the tower so it tilts in a different  direction.

Hiya, Kelly -  
 
    Expanding the family too? How is Noah doing these  days? He must be 
getting big. 
 
    As far as your tower question, of course the  easiest thing to do is to 
worry about it in the future. The easiest thing to do  is then is to get a 
crane in and pluck it out. The tower location is a  far distance for a crane 
but I'd call King Crane and have them come out and tell  you what's 
possible. It doesn't cost anything and they do this all the time and  you'll have a 
definitive answer for this question. 
 
    I think the crux question is "Why would you need to  tilt the tower 
over?" I can't think of any reason unless you want to remove it  the way it 
went in. You can't change antennas when it's tilted over so tilting  it over is 
really a non-issue. 
 
     Of course you could move it the way we did  originally with 2 mini 
backhoes but I don't really think there'll ever be a  need to tilt the tower 
over so moving it is pretty marginal. The reason we did  it was because that's 
what was possible when installing it. But if you want  to move it then 
you've got a tower project that is just like installing it new  plus you have to 
move and re-install everything. I can't see where this is going  to buy you 
anything. 
 
    As far as a helicopter, I don't know what the  flight rules are for 
your town but I don't think they're on your side. I'd check  them to make sure 
so you could rule this in or out for future reference. 
 
    WWLXCD? What would LXC do? I'd leave it since I  don't see any reason 
to tilt the tower over now or in the future and  eventually just get a crane 
out to un-install it. Besides, I don't know if you  have much in the way of 
other tower location options what with your trees  and other backyard 
challenges. 
 
Cheers,
Steve     K7LXC
TOWER TECH
Cell: 206-890-4188