[TowerTalk] Ground level rotator mounting

[Don Moman VE6JY]

Taking the mast to the ground is especially appropriate for the Rohn
BX/Delhi series of towers as torque up at the top of the tower isn't
helpful to the longevity of the rivets... and it's all downhill from there.

I have seen and done numerous installs in Rohn and bigger. Oscillation, to
me anyway, is so remote a possibility that I don't even consider it.  I use
anywhere from 1.5 to 3.5 IPS S40 water pipe and weld on flanges for
coupling.  This reduces the inherent elongation of using simple pinning
bolts thru the mast and allows an unobstructed  path for the coax to also
go down the inside of the pipe and thru the rotor.

I am in the process of finishing one as we speak, 2.5 inch ips x 110 feet
for a large HF log periodic.  Sure it will twist somewhat but given the
beamwidth it is inconsequential.   If I get around to it, I would put some
treated 2x6's around the mast to keep it roughly centered. There is no need
for precision in this application. I always let the weight be supported by
the top bearing.

Don
VE6JY


On Sat, Sep 7, 2013 at 4:38 PM, <john at kk9a.com> wrote:

> That is a good point, Roger.  Search Tacoma Narrows Bridge for a visual of
> harmonic oscillation destruction.
>
> John KK9A
>
> To:towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject:Re: [TowerTalk] Ground level rotator mounting
> From:"Roger (K8RI) on TT" <K8RI-on-TowerTalk at tm.net>
> Date:Fri, 06 Sep 2013 22:20:28 -0400
> List-post:<towertalk at contesting.com">mailto:towertalk at contesting.com>
>
> On 9/6/2013 9:38 PM, Doug Wetzel wrote:
>
> When I put up my HDBX-48 in the spring, I'm thinking of mounting the
> rotator at ground level.  Has anyone on the list done something similar?
> What did you use for mast all the way up the tower, and did you use
>
>
> Be careful about mechanical resonances. A long mast is in effect a torsion
> bar that with its flex, the inherent slight give in the rotator, plus the
> mass of the antenna May result in a low frequency oscillation.
>
> You may or may not end up with a resonant condition.. If you do, the
> condition may or may not be destructive.
>
> IOW you are now in unexplored territory unless you can find someone who has
> use the same rotator, mast, and antenna combination.
>
> Many years ago I built a simple, laminated, wood mast. It worked quite well
> for a while, but one windy day I noticed the mast was oscillating. You
> could
> easily see the node and nulls.
>
> As the wind increased the nodes became larger and the speed was so fast
> that
> the nodes looked like a solid mas several feet across. IIRC the nodes
> appeared to be nearly 3 feet across before it let go. The longest piece
> left
> was about 3 feet long.
>
> Now this was a different material and a different mode of oscillation.. If
> a
> mast went into severe oscillation I'd expect the destruction to be confined
> to either the the rotator, or the antenna. Possibly both.
>
> I've had relatively minor oscillations of a relatively low frequency with a
> 40 foot mast. The antennas were swinging about 2 feet in azimuth. It did
> destroy a Ham-IV and an HDR300 before I installed the PST-61
>
> multiple thrust bearings to align the mast?
>
>
> Typically they only keep the mast aligned and do not support weight except
> for one.
> 73
>
> Roger (K8RI)
>
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Doug
> K7IP
>
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