[TowerTalk] Mystery Tower

[n0tt1 at juno.com]

> What was the general reputation of these no concrete EZ Way
> tower bases?  Potential problems such as:
> 
> Wonder ground post leans over?

Mine started to lean just a bit several years ago having
been in the ground over 20 years.  No worries, I just
hooked on 3 "come-along" winches, then dug a hole
next to the hole that has the sand, washed out enough
sand into the new hole so the tower was "loose".  
Adjusted the winches so the tower was perfectly vertical, 
then back-filled with more sand.  Easy job, really.

> Wonder ground post sinks into the ground?

No sinking noticed here.   It has a metal base plate
maybe 18" square.  Install on undisturbed earth.

> Fins bend or break off?  

No, they are solidly braced.  IIRC, braced fin-to-fin.

> The whole thing turns to rust in short order?

No, mine hasn't.  Setting it in sand may have had something to
do with that.
> 
> I'm looking for ways to put up towers on my land without
> concrete so that if I remove them I can disk up the land.
> Does it make sense to have a fab shop make a copy of a wonder
> ground post?

IMHO, YES!!  Hot-dip galvanize it too.  

> How was the wonder ground post installed?
> By pounding it into the ground, or by digging a hole for
> it and backfilling?

NO pounding!  :D)   Dig the hole in earth, lower the post in the
hole with a guyed, wood "A" frame equipped with a winch.  Fill
with sand and wash the sand in with water.  Use the
finest graded sand you can get like the type that is
used for brick morter.  NOT the white silica sand, "play"
sand or beach sand.

> It seems like a large enough set of fins would give the same
> resistance to overturning vs PSI rating of the soil compared
> to concrete, but it doesn't have the weight of the concrete.

It works for me.  I've used that sand method for fence posts
and many other poles/posts.  Never a problem here.  Always
wash it in with water so it leaves no voids.

> I've always wondered whether the massive weight of concrete
> isn't the real thing holding up the tower as opposed to the
> resistance of the soil.

A large concrete block would have more resistance
to over-tuning, but it may be way more than what is needed depending
on the soil.  

73,
Charlie, N0TT