[TowerTalk] The saga of my crank-up

[Roger (K8RI) on TT]

I mentioned that we had to move the location of the hole for the base of 
the tower after hitting a field tile at the original location.

The only problem is on the N side of the shop it's closer to the woods.  
These are fast growing trees that may reach 80 feet before dying.  It's 
a soft wood that deteriorates quickly after the tree dies.  We currently 
have two layine out into the yard now.  I hope to get permission to cut 
the trees that pose a danger.  As I said, it's just woods with mostly 
junk trees and a fire hazard with a lot of dead falls.  One neighbor 
used to cut those up for the winter, but that was 20 to 30 years ago.  I 
have photos of the area from the top of my towers over the years.  The N 
side of our yard had a row of little 3 to 4 foot spruce. Those grew to 
maturity.  The warmer and and 6 week shorter winters no longer killed 
the Pine Beatles and they killed the trees

Extended, the tower puts the antenna out of reach for falling trees, but 
not when retracted.  There about 4 to 6 trees that pose a danger.  They 
are tall and skinny (about 6" in diameter), with a decided lean.

Moving the hole to the west would have been the desired action, BUT The 
soil quickly turns to peat in that direction (don't know where) AND 
there is a dirt pile (compost pile) at least 20 X 50' that is coming out 
some day.  As the sides are not vertical, but a gentle taper and knowing 
the source of the dirt,  I'd guess there is between 10 to 30 yards to be 
removed.

   Moving that dirt was out-of-the-question at the time as we would have 
destroyed the N yard.  (I really don't think we would have been able to 
get the trucks back there.   BUT Maybe later this summer when it's dry 
enough to remove the couple of truck loads of dirt, I'll build another 
base and put it about 20' W of that first hole.

The logistics are good, but the costs @ roughly $120 per yard for 6 or 7 
yards of  3,500 psi concrete, a couple hundred for the base. (I can 
easily machine the ears for the metal shop), plus the labor for digging 
the hole??  By hand or backhoe.  Backhoe would probably mean 6 or 7 
yards, but that's not objectionable considering the doubtful ability of 
the soil.  As we have to fix the driveway from the last, "light" load of 
concrete, I have my doubts for 7 or more yards.

As the yard never firmed up enough to support the equipment last summer 
and another wet summer forecast, I guess, I better hope I can have those 
trees cut.  I may be stuck where the base is now.

BTW When I installed the 100', 45G, the yard was like a rock and the 
water table was at,  or below the bottom of the hole, we could have run 
the concrete truck across the yard with only a dent...if that. Our yard 
used to dry up and turn brown by early August.  For the last 5 years or 
so, it has stayed green and required cutting at least a couple of time 
per week, all summer.  With the second hole (which we had to pump out) 
the water table was within 6" of the surface.   They dug until at 7 feet 
there was about a foot of water in the hole. In two days, it was nearly 
full.

-- 

73

Roger (K8RI)


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