[TowerTalk] Need help buying first tower

[Grant Saviers]

I agree with others that a 40' crank up would be a good choice.  Such as 
  Tashjian LM237 or LM354 if the budget allows.  Not a mast.

Regarding antennas, I think for teaching 20m only might be a difficult 
and frustrating experience, since the band is often crowded.  I think a 
small tri will give the most flexibility. Something like an A4S which 
should leave some tower capacity for a 12/17m dipole.  Then some short 
masts on the buildings for am 80/40m dipole.

OTOH, some dipoles on the roof are a good way to get started, cheaply.

Grant KZ1W

On 4/11/2021 09:15, Ross Tucker wrote:
> Hello all!
> 
> I have been offered a position at my high school to teach ham radio as a
> class. The administration also said that they would be willing to have a
> tower installed! The one problem is that I have zero experience with real
> towers. I was wondering if one or more of you might be willing to
> correspond with me to walk me through the whole process.
> 
> To be honest, I don't even know what I need. The absolute #1 constraint is
> that it must be over-engineered for safety - if anything falls and damages
> school property during monsoon season, I will be extremely fired. XD
> Low-maintenance is also important, as I'm a busy teacher with a small child
> at home. Height needs to be at least 20 or 30' to get above the nearby
> buildings. Self-supporting (no guy wires) is also necessary. As for
> antennas, since the station will only be operated during school hours, I
> was thinking of just a mono-band 20 m beam for HF and a 2m/70cm vertical
> for local repeaters. Finally, in the future, I'd like to install a
> satellite array on a shorter mast, nearby.
> 
> Would anybody be willing to mentor me through this process?
> 
> Thank you for your time-
> Ross Tucker, PhD, NS7F
> Arizona State University / Herberger Young Scholars Academy
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