[TowerTalk] Joining sections of aluminum mast

[larryj at teleport.com]

Doug - the HDBX48 I put up had to be installed exactly as per Rohn's instructions. This was in a time where no other towers were on the "approved" list by the City planning department, and even getting that one approved took lots of hours by the local radio club's Attorney.  I work for the City, and that didn't get me any special privilege when it came to getting a tower permit. They only approved the HDBX48 version, not the taller 56-footer, even if guys were approved by Rohn.  Things are evidently different up in Manitoba! I sure wouldn't want to climb 100+ feet of BX tower!

I was so glad I got that tower permit, as years after it was up and working, a new neighbor moved in across the street. He soon had issues with many of the neighbors (seems there's always one in every neighborhood) and eventually got around to me - didn't like the looks of the tower and antenna, and tried to rally some of the neighbors against it. He eventually called the City planning department to complain, and after they checked their records, they told him there was a tower permit. He had to tell the rest of the neighbors, "the guy's got a permit for it  :("

Sometimes the extra work pays off, doing it by the book.

LJ





-----Original Message-----
From: Doug Renwick <ve5ra at sasktel.net>
Sent: Aug 25, 2022 6:07 PM
To: <larryj at teleport.com>
Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] Joining sections of aluminum mast

 Hi,
I have two BX 110 foot towers, all guyed. One has a CC XM240 and the other a 3L full size 30m beam. Those towers are amazingly strong if guyed properly. I have three other shorter BX towers. With proper guying I have never in 40+ years have had one fail. BTW  they can be guyed.
 
Doug
 
Free Climbing - The ultimate test of strength and technique. 


From: larryj at teleport.com [mailto:larryj at teleport.com] 
Sent: August-25-22 5:53 PM
To: Doug Renwick; TowerTalk List
Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] Joining sections of aluminum mast

 
I went by Rohn's published specs so I could get a tower permit. The City required that they be followed to the letter, and sent out inspectors to verify the hole, rebar, concrete foundation and the final installation. Our local radio club did lots of work (with a local volunteer ham Attorney) to get the HDBX48 approved, at a time when they weren't approving any other ham towers.
 
I never would have gotten the permit if I hadn't used an antenna with a boom length of 10 feet or less. Maybe the City Engineers saw the same BX towers across the river that I saw, that had come down after being overloaded. They weren't rated to be used as guyed towers.
 
It was worth all the trouble for the permit, though, the quad busted many a pileup, first call.
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Doug Renwick <ve5ra at sasktel.net>
Sent: Aug 25, 2022 4:08 PM
To: <larryj at teleport.com>
Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] Joining sections of aluminum mast

 
I see you fell for the 10 foot max boom length. For years I have used BX
towers with antenna boom lengths well over 30 feet. Towers are guyed.
 
Doug
 
Free Climbing - The ultimate test of strength and technique.
-----Original Message-----
From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of
larryj at teleport.com
Sent: August-25-22 9:42 AM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Joining sections of aluminum mast
 
That tower load caught my eye, too. I have an HDBX tower, and I was only
able to get the City's tower permit by staying within the Rohn published
load limits. So I went with a 2-element tri-band quad antenna, which only
had a boom length of 8 feet.
 
At a previous QTH, I had a Mosley TA-33 tri-band yagi. But I couldn't put it
on this BX tower, since the boom length (I think it was 16 feet) exceeded
the 10-foot allowable boom length in the tower ratings' specifications.
 
When I read this thread about a SteppIR was being put up on a BX tower, that
caught my eye, immediately. I've seen two - folded-over/destroyed BX towers
in this area, with antenna loads that exceeded Rohn's specs. Fortunately,
neither of them were mine.
 
LJ
 
 
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