[TowerTalk] Guyed + self supporting /2 ??

[Stan Stockton]

These discussions are interesting but the bottom line appears to be Paralysis from Analysis in many cases.

Everything you do is a risk.  Use a little common sense and do something!

About a decade ago my neighbor had a self supporting Heights aluminum tower which I am sure was installed just right according to all the manufacturers recommendations.  I watched it bend to the point that it looked like it was about to buckle at the base several times until he put some guy wire on it.  I went over and replaced his guy wires with Phillystran so it wouldn't potentially affect my antennas.  Didn't use a tension measuring device, didn't tighten the guy wires too tight, didn't hire an engineer to tell me how deep to dig holes, how much rebar and what configuration was required but instead attached the guys to conveniently located trees.  

The tower is still there and I guarantee that it would have failed years ago without those guys, even though the antenna is some relatively small 10m Yagi.  

I assume everyone who has a self supporting tower has derated the thing by about 10 sf so they can climb it to work on something if needed?

73...Stan, K5GO

Sent from my iPad

> On Oct 16, 2014, at 6:02 AM, Steve Maki <lists at oakcom.org> wrote:
> 
>> On 10/16/2014 2:49 AM, Roger (K8RI) on TT wrote:
>> 
>>> After much repeated discussion on this forum over the years I asked a
>>> structural engineer about this, and he confirmed what you are saying -
>>> that basically a guy system could be designed for pretty much any
>>> *self supporter* to favorably affect it's load limits (within a
>>> reasonable footprint), but that it would be silly to start out
>>> designing one that way since it would be a waste of materials. If
>>> you're going to guy a tower, use a *guyed tower*.
>>> 
>>> But when someone says *you MUST not guy a self supporter*, it makes me
>>> cringe.
>> 
>> Why. A self supporter can be designed for guys, but most are not. If
>> they are not designed with the guy forces taken into account, you are
>> just gambling.
> 
> Why? Because it's just not true to say that. Note that I'm not recommending anything, other than to speak accurately..
> 
> 
> -Steve K8LX
> _______________________________________________
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk