[TowerTalk] Driving Screw Anchors

Wed Jan 8 15:32:05 EST 2014

I looked into this.  The RPM on a post hole auger
is deliberately rather fast so that it throws
dirt out of the hole.  What you specifically don't
want to happen when digging holes is to screw
the auger into the ground.  Of course, this is
exactly what you do want with a screw anchor.
Also, there is no provision to drill at an angle.
And it doesn't go anywhere near deep enough.
Forget about it.

I did see in the AB Chance catalog that you can
buy a hydraulic motor that you run from your
tractor hydraulics.  The motor attaches to the
top of the driveshaft and comes with a long
torque arm.

The thing is, I can hire someone for $10 an
hour to screw these things into the ground.
Way cheaper.  Be a job creator :-)

Rick N6RK

On 1/8/2014 9:28 AM, Wilson wrote:
> Has anyone used a post hole auger on a tractor to drive screw anchors??
> I think they are a bit too fast, but might handle the job if properly
> managed.
> I'd rig a telescoping shaft, like on the pto driveshaft, to go between
> the auger drive coupling and the anchor eye.
> Wilson
> W4BOH
>
> -----Original Message----- From: towertalk-request at contesting.com
> Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2014 12:00 PM
> To: towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: TowerTalk Digest, Vol 133, Issue 20
>
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> Today's Topics:
>
>    1. Re: Fwd:  Screw Anchor removal (Tom Nicholson)
>    2. Fwd:  Fwd:  Screw Anchor installation (Hans Hammarquist)
>    3. Unsubscribe, please.  Thanks! (ai2n at twcny.rr.com)
>    4. Re: winch for tower (Richard (Rick) Karlquist)
>    5. Re: Unsubscribe, please.  Thanks! (n8de at thepoint.net)
>    6. Re: Screw anchors (Paul Staupe)
>    7. Re: Tower raising and lowering system for sale (Frank Giambrone)
>    8. Re: Fwd: Screw Anchor installation (john at kk9a.com)
>    9. Re: Fwd:  Screw Anchor removal (chetmoore)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 07 Jan 2014 17:36:33 -0500
> From: Tom Nicholson <Gunsrus1942 at Comcast.net>
> To: David Blake <dhblake at yahoo.com>, "towertalk at contesting.com"
> <towertalk at contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Fwd:  Screw Anchor removal
> Message-ID: <52CC8171.20201 at Comcast.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> Thanks for the quick reply & as I thought, there has to be a mechanical
> "advantage" employed!!! Hence the 4' pipe.
> Thanks again.
>
> Tom W1ALZ
>
>
> On 1/7/2014 5:22 PM, David Blake wrote:
>> Not too difficult, just starting a screw --  I use a 4 foot
>> long pipe thru the eye and start turning.  They actually
>> go in easier than you would think.  Of course as it gets
>> deeper it becomes more difficult, thus the 4 foot pipe for
>> some leverage.  You end up waking around and around
>> but the job has never taken more than a few minutes.
>>
>> Where I have put them in Virginia there has been rock
>> and generally I have been lucky to be able to get by them
>> except one time when I just restarted the anchor 6 inches
>> further away.
>>
>> In Ohio my soil had little rock and the anchor just went
>> right down.
>>
>> 73
>> Dave -N4DB-
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tuesday, January 7, 2014 5:11 PM, Tom Nicholson
>> <Gunsrus1942 at Comcast.net> wrote:
>>
>> Having never installed one, how does one install one by hand? Dumb
>> question but I'm faced with maybe doing it & need to be an "inquiring"
>> mind.
>>
>> Thanks for your input.
>>
>> Tom W1ALZ
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 7 Jan 2014 18:14:57 -0500 (EST)
> From: Hans Hammarquist <hanslg at aol.com>
> To: towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Fwd:  Fwd:  Screw Anchor installation
> Message-ID: <8D0DA156A696108-2710-2EE11 at webmail-d212.sysops.aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Tom,
>
>
> I can't say this is the right way but it worked for me. Flip through the
> pictures and you will find how we simply banged on the anchor and turned
> it a much as we could. A new hit and you could turn it again. It took
> about half an hour to install one.
>
>
> Hans - N2JFS
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tom Nicholson <Gunsrus1942 at Comcast.net>
> To: Hans Hammarquist <hanslg at aol.com>
> Sent: Tue, Jan 7, 2014 5:10 pm
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Fwd:  Screw Anchor removal
>
>
> Having never installed one, how does one install one by hand?  Dumb
> question but I'm faced with maybe doing it & need to be an "inquiring"
> mind.
>
> Thanks for your input.
>
> Tom W1ALZ
>
>
> On 1/7/2014 4:32 PM, Hans Hammarquist wrote:
>> I'm not ever sure you would be able to remove one, especially if it is a
> little damaged by corrosion. My idea is to "just" add a new one by even the
> slightest suspicion that you have an inferior anchor supporting your
> tower. It
> is not that hard to install a new one.
>>
>>
>> Hans - N2JFS
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 7 Jan 2014 23:42:04 +0000
> From: <ai2n at twcny.rr.com>
> To: towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Unsubscribe, please.  Thanks!
> Message-ID: <20140107234204.TI46A.21656.root at cdptpa-web16>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Tue, 07 Jan 2014 16:08:14 -0800
> From: "Richard (Rick) Karlquist" <richard at karlquist.com>
> To: KJ6Y at aol.com, bill at grimwood.net, towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] winch for tower
> Message-ID: <52CC96EE.1010408 at karlquist.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> On 1/7/2014 2:22 PM, KJ6Y at aol.com wrote:
>> Just wondering?  How often do you tilt it over that you would need the
>> electric winch?
>
>>
>> Skip,  KJ6Y
>
> This question somewhat oversimplifies the decision.
>
> First of all, I have a MonstIR on a tilt plate.  Thus
> all antenna work is done with the tower tilted over,
> never in the upright position.  The tower has been
> up and down many times to:
>
> 1.  Debug the MonstIR when initially installed.
> Dozens of times up and down.  I will say that
> once I got the MonstIR working, it has never
> failed...yet.
> 2.  Develop the homebrew tilt plate by trial and error,
> now you can just buy one.
> 3.  Fix the antenna to keep it from slipping on the mast
> 4.  Diagnose and treat an insidious intermittent coax
> connector on RG-218.  Multiple times.
> 5.  Fix an element that fell off (my bad, I forgot to
> tighten the clamps).
> 6.  Develop a modification to the MonstIR to use the
> reflector and 2nd director as an 80 meter receiving beam.
> A lot of trial and error here.
> 7.  Periodic inspection and maintenance several times a
> year for cable lubing etc.  Replace cables "every 3
> years" (right).
> 8.  Make an emergency repair right before a contest
> (Murphy's timing was impeccable).
> 9.  Perform experiments like putting up a 130 foot
> high 80 meter inverted vee.
>
> Having said that, the supplied K2550 winch was
> undercapacity for even the empty tower, not to mention
> the MonstIR on top.  The brake severely overheated
> and I never trusted it.  A replacement W3000 winch
> had different but equally bad problems.  I never trusted
> it either.  Either winch was like an athletic event
> to turn using both hands.  To me, the answer to how
> many times a year is OK to hand winch the tower over
> became zero.
>
> Rick N6RK
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Tue, 07 Jan 2014 19:19:01 -0500
> From: n8de at thepoint.net
> To: ai2n at twcny.rr.com
> Cc: towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Unsubscribe, please.  Thanks!
> Message-ID: <20140107191901.6dth005hwc4swo84 at webmail.win.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; DelSp="Yes";
> format="flowed"
>
> Perhaps you need to read the BOTTOM of the emails from this reflector.
> Full instructions are ALWAYS there.
>
> 73
> Don
> N8DE
>
>
> Quoting ai2n at twcny.rr.com:
>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> TowerTalk mailing list
>> TowerTalk at contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Tue, 7 Jan 2014 18:58:43 -0600
> From: Paul Staupe <staupe at gmail.com>
> To: towertalk at contesting.com, Gunsrus1942 at Comcast.net
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Screw anchors
> Message-ID:
> <CAOQ84auZqxUi4P1LbjkNF3WJUDd7+PKZkzmTV7ZTy6VXEkGAoA at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Tom,
>
> I used 6' Chance screw anchors to install my 76' stick of Rohn 45G four
> years ago.  Soil here is about 1' of topsoil, clay underneath.
>
> I dug through the topsoil and used a square steel bar about 6' long that
> just fit through the opening on the Chance anchor and used the armstrong
> method to grind them down through the clay to about 6" above ground. Lots
> of sweat equity, but it only took about a half hour per anchor.
>
> I have a 4L SteppIR at 77' and a 2L 40M Moxon at 95' and the anchors have
> never budged.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Paul W0AD
> Minneapolis
>
>
>
> On Tuesday, January 7, 2014 5:11 PM, Tom Nicholson
> <Gunsrus1942 at Comcast.net>
> wrote:
>
>
> Having never installed one, how does one install one by hand? Dumb
> question but I'm faced with maybe doing it & need to be an "inquiring"
> mind.
>
> Thanks for your input.
>
> Tom W1ALZ
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Tue, 7 Jan 2014 18:54:33 -0500
> From: Frank Giambrone <fsgiambrone at earthlink.net>
> To: "William N. Goodman, CPA" <wgoodman at goodmancpa.com>
> Cc: "<towertalk at contesting.com>" <towertalk at contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Tower raising and lowering system for sale
> Message-ID: <B1DC218F-78BC-480B-9F4E-59658710EC60 at earthlink.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> Pricing as always too strong. Please remove me from your list.
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 8
> Date: Wed, 8 Jan 2014 01:46:53 -0000
> From: <john at kk9a.com>
> To: <TOWERTALK at contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Fwd: Screw Anchor installation
> Message-ID: <F1A905510CEE4C49AECD65F451E7B166 at kk9a>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> It is not a dumb question  If you have soft soil with no rocks your should
> be able to start the screw on an angle and use a lever to twist it in.
> I am
> not sure what you would do by hand if you have hard clay, shale and rocks
> like I have.  Generally speaking the easier it is to screw in the easier it
> will pull out.  Machines that install them measure the installation torque
> to ensure adequate holding ability.
>
> John KK9A
>
>
> To:towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject:Re: [TowerTalk] Fwd: Screw Anchor removal
> From:Tom Nicholson <Gunsrus1942 at Comcast.net>
> Date:Tue, 07 Jan 2014 17:11:05 -0500
> List-post:<towertalk at contesting.com">mailto:towertalk at contesting.com>
>
>
> Having never installed one, how does one install one by hand? Dumb question
> but I'm faced with maybe doing it & need to be an "inquiring" mind.
> Thanks for your input.
>
> Tom W1ALZ
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 9
> Date: Tue, 7 Jan 2014 20:53:55 -0500
> From: "chetmoore" <chetmoore at cox.net>
> To: "'Tom Nicholson'" <Gunsrus1942 at Comcast.net>,
> <towertalk at contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Fwd:  Screw Anchor removal
> Message-ID: <002e01cf0c14$7d9500b0$78bf0210$@net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>
> Hi Tom,
>
> 20 years ago, I did mine by hand, using a pipe.  On the new tower I found
> that I could no longer do that by myself. 6 years ago  I rented one of the
> power augers from home depot. I got the trailer mounted unit You can rent
> them for cheap.  I used the augers that came with it to drill 4 holes close
> together and then Shoveled them out.  Take off the auger and Use the Kelly
> bar to drive the anchors. Towed the trailer to the house and walked the
> auger to the back yard.  It took about 30 seconds to drive them in.  I was
> able to drive the anchors In less time than it took to line up the auger
> trailer. We also drove 3 more For N4BAA and had the unit back to home depot
> in  less than 4 hours.
>
> 73
>
> Chet N4FX
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Tom
> Nicholson
> Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2014 5:11 PM
> To: towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Fwd: Screw Anchor removal
>
>
> Having never installed one, how does one install one by hand? Dumb question
> but I'm faced with maybe doing it & need to be an "inquiring"
> mind.
>
> Thanks for your input.
>
> Tom W1ALZ
>
>
> On 1/7/2014 4:32 PM, Hans Hammarquist wrote:
>> I'm not ever sure you would be able to remove one, especially if it is a
> little damaged by corrosion. My idea is to "just" add a new one by even the
> slightest suspicion that you have an inferior anchor supporting your tower.
> It is not that hard to install a new one.
>>
>>
>> Hans - N2JFS
>>
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
>
>
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>
> Subject: Digest Footer
>
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> ------------------------------
>
> End of TowerTalk Digest, Vol 133, Issue 20
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