[TowerTalk] Galvenized Monopole Foundation

[Steve Maki]

They typically have climbing pegs and a safety climb cable. For 
installing top mounted collars and platforms a crane is normally used. 
Once the platform is there, other work can be accomplished with just a 
capstan winch.

For a double collar ham install, it would be comfortable standing on the 
lower collar as one works around the pole.

That all said - I prefer an SS lattice tower over a pole. By the time 
you load the outside of the pole with all kinds of contraptions, much of 
the aesthetic advantage has gone away. It's easier to maneuver around on 
a lattice tower, no question.

A rotating pole looks nice - big bucks though.

-Steve K8LX

On 08/05/20 8:49 AM, john at kk9a.com wrote:

> How difficult are monopoles to climb and work on antennas while on 
> them?  Every time that I see a crew on them they are hanging from a crane.
> 
> John KK9A
> 
> 
> Steve Maki K8LX wrote:
> 
> I would plan on mounting the rotator and mast outside of the pole,
> rather than inside.
> 
> I'd install a couple of "ring collars" - off the shelf weldments used in
> the cell business - one at the pole top, and one down 6' or so. To that
> you clamp a 4" or 5" pipe mount, which can be plumbed with no trouble.
> 
> Then to this pipe you can attach shelves at any height - one for the
> rotator, and a couple for thrust bearings for example. You can make this
> as heavy duty as you want, mostly with off the shelf parts - just a
> little ingenuity and fab work required.
> 
> BTW the ring collars come with three faces for clamping stuff, so you
> could have some fixed yagis just below the tower top facing in favorite
> directions.
> 
> Anyway, it gives you way better flexibility and serviceability than
> having stuff inside the pole.
> 
> -Steve K8LX