[TowerTalk] Where do UST fail? My story

[kr2q at optimum.net]

During Hurricane Sandy, a large tree fell perfectly into my TX472.  I couldn't have done thatif I tried.  At the time (I knew the hurricane was coming) I had cranked it down about 1/2 way.  Windswere forecast to reach 50mph, so this was plenty of safety factor.The tower failed at the base (see link below, especially the last 4 slides).  It did not fall, it bent.W2GD has now stripped the tower of the ugly bent aluminum and retracted the tower.  The tower lowered almost all the way without issue.  So the other sections stayed straight.The weak point, at least in this circumstance, was the bottom of the bottom.https://picasaweb.google.com/dougzzz/HurricaneSandyOct292012de Doug KR2Q