[TowerTalk] Fwd: Fwd: Advice on Old TV Antenna Tower

[Hans Hammarquist]

 Lloyd,

Is there no methods to test the integrity of aluminum and aluminum towers? In my special case the foundation of the tower is a 6 feet by 6 feet granite block (about 8 " think. I just happen to have it around). The tower is suppose to be self supporting with that base for wind up to 85 mph. I decided to add guy wires to make sure it would tilt.

I wonder if I should loosen the guy wires, then stretch one and see if the tower breaks somewhere. Sound dangerous to me. Is there any other method such a looking at some type of magnetic eddy current response or similar? I know they test airplanes for structure integrity on a regular basis. How do they do that? I'm sure they don't put the plane in a jig and bend/flex it.

Any ideas about this?

Hans


 

-----Original Message-----
From: Lloyd Cabral <KH6LC at hotmail.com>
To: HansLG <HansLG at aol.com>
Sent: Sat, Jul 1, 2017 10:21 pm
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Fwd:   Advice on Old TV Antenna Tower




Hans,
      The best possible use of aluminum towers is to be recycled into aluminum cans which can then be used to hold your favorite beverage.

The real problem with aluminum towers is undetectable fatigue.       You can inspect a steel tower section, check for rust and corrosion, jiggle it,

jump up and down on it, take a bolt out and look inside, get a fair idea of it's condition.        With aluminum, they all look fine.      The problem

I've noticed with aluminum is there's no real indication of impending failure.        When they fail it's sudden and total failure.       No bending, no

flexing, just BOOM, down.       I don't trust them the same way I've never trusted crankups.       Yes, I've owned a few crankups and replaced them

as soon as I could afford it.      Please be extra careful when working around ageing aluminum towers.      Load them lightly.      


                                                            Vy 73 & Aloha,
                                                                   Lloyd
                                                         www.KH6LC.com


From: TowerTalk <towertalk-bounces at contesting.com> on behalf of Hans Hammarquist via TowerTalk <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 1, 2017 2:05:24 PM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] Fwd: Advice on Old TV Antenna Tower
 


I was told that aluminum towers are more springy than steel towers. Mine is 
 an aluminum, guyed though. I still experience the vibration when I am in 
between  the ground and the guy point. Was very scary the first time I 
climbed it but am  use to it now.
 
I believe the "Q" value of aluminum is higher than steel. Therefore the  
aluminum tower vibrate more than steel towers when you climb them. 
 
Any takers?
 
Hans N2JFS
 
In a message dated 7/1/2017 1:37:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
john at kk9a.com writes:

My 60'  Universal Aluminum tower used to move when I climbed it.  It  seemed
like a lot of movement but as Jim said it probably was not. I sort  of got
use to the movement and never had an issue.

John  KK9A




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