Lots of interesting threads on this--everyone's situation unique! I have
110' Rohn 55 in a fairly tight location--two guy points only 53' from the
tower. I needed to clear a garage and (obviously) move the effective base
out as far as possible. The tower is guyed at 50 & 100' (the move to 55 from
45 enabled the elmination of the 3rd guy set which would have made side mount
rotation in this tight setting impossible). Using the home (not farm) set up
at W0AIH as a model, I used double wall 8" seamless pipe--13' long for the
two short guy points. Holes were dug 5' deep, 3-1/2' square, and filled to 1
foot below ground which will allow torching off and filling. Ground is heavy
with rocks. I painted, prior to planting, with best available anti rust
paint after welding 1/2" bar on the top with 1/2" holes for Rohn jaw/jaw
large turnbuckles and one extra hole for the tensioning come-along. The pipe
is so strong that there was no need to do anything but make them straight and
fill the top foot or so for water protection. They looks great and have
withstood 85 MPH winds with about 30 sq ft antennas/mast without a shudder.
(20' chromolly mast at top--4' in, 16' out). The 13 footers weighed about
425# and were surely a trick to get straight and in the center of the holes,
but it was worth it. My PE friend said I'm in good shape. John, K0IJL
>From Bruce (AA8U)" <aa8u@voyager.net Wed Apr 24 01:57:15 1996
From: Bruce (AA8U)" <aa8u@voyager.net (Bruce (AA8U))
Subject: First Contest Stations
Message-ID: <199604240057.UAA29137@vixa.voyager.net>
I sure hope someone with talent out there is compiling the info being fed to
the reflector about these first contest stations. I have found them to be
interesting reading. Had I more talent and ambition I think I would gather
them and write a series of articles for NCJ or CQ Contest, maybe even a
book. Alas, I always have great ideas (as in larger) which rarely get beyond
the idea stage.
Heck, I may even give an account here of my first contest station......in a
day or two...hi
73 to all and thanks for the enjoyable reading,
Ugly
>From kf3p@cais.cais.com (Tyler Stewart) Wed Apr 24 00:49:15 1996
From: kf3p@cais.cais.com (Tyler Stewart) (Tyler Stewart)
Subject: Elevated Guywire Anchor Posts
Message-ID: <199604232349.TAA10737@cais.cais.com>
>I've already responded directly to Charlie about my limited elevated
>guypost experience. However, all this talk of concrete brings to mind
>another related question:
>
>When pouring concrete for the base or guy anchors is it OK to use
>plywood forms and leave the forms in the ground after the concrete has
>set? Or should the forms be removed to let the concrete set-up against
>the earth? I've heard both ways and would like to know what the
>conventional wisdom says. Thanks.
>
>
>
>73
>Kris AA5UO
>mraz@aud.alcatel.com
>
>
I wouldnt think you would want to use a form, unless your soil is so loose that
the wall wont stay together on its own. You would want the concrete right
up against the hard, undisturbed soil...actually, when pouring you want
to pour right into the middle of the hole so it doesnt disturb the side as it
goes down, and for a really professional job, rent a concrete vibrator, which
will insure that your concrete has maximum density and no air pockets when you
are done.
73, Tyler kf3p@cais.com
>From Tom Francis <tomf@neca.com> Wed Apr 24 01:29:05 1996
From: Tom Francis <tomf@neca.com> (Tom Francis)
Subject: Elevated Guy Anchors
Message-ID: <199604240029.UAA16177@orion.neca.com>
At 01:22 PM 4/23/96 -0700, Ward Silver wrote:
snip - cut - edit
I don't know what would appease Murphy...maybe cut
yourself while putting the cards in the hole....
About the only thing that will truly appease
the GREAT ALMIGHTY MURPHY is to sacrifice a complete
copy of the annotated GREAT ALMIGHTY MURPHY"S
BOOK OF CONTESTING/DX LAWS. First you have to
tear the book apart page by page and burn them
individually. Then you have to add the residue
to the concrete mixture prior to pouring. Once
the concrete is poured, and before it sets, you
have to write the words MURPHY RULES into the
base using your middle index finger....
And, as I have the only known copy of the annotated
GREAT ALMIGHTY MURPHY"S BOOK OF LAWS, your out of
luck, heh heh heh...
73
Tom, NM1Q (tomf@neca.com)
>From Bruce (AA8U)" <aa8u@voyager.net Wed Apr 24 01:47:52 1996
From: Bruce (AA8U)" <aa8u@voyager.net (Bruce (AA8U))
Subject: NEW TUCKER ELECTRONICS WEB SITE!
Message-ID: <199604240047.UAA28206@vixa.voyager.net>
At 03:40 PM 4/23/96 -0500, you wrote:
>Attention Contesters:
>
>Tucker Electronics is proud to announce our new web-site at:
>
>Please send your questions, comments and suggestions to my e-mail
>address above. You can also send your "don't use this reflector for
>commercial purposes" flames to me as well.
Well sir,
It is obvious you already know better than to use this medium to advertize
your products/company. You can consider this a "flame" if you so choose. You
know, I almost called your company to make a purchase just yesterday. Not a
small one either because what stopped me was my current gold card balance.
You have just convinced me NOT to do business with TUCKER when my plastic
resereve has been restored. So there.....take that! Now was the exposure you
got to your new web site worth it after all?
believe it or not, 73
Ugly
>From kf3p@cais.cais.com (Tyler Stewart) Wed Apr 24 01:26:02 1996
From: kf3p@cais.cais.com (Tyler Stewart) (Tyler Stewart)
Subject: Elevated Guys
Message-ID: <199604240026.UAA15956@cais.cais.com>
>Gentlemen and Ladies...
>
>I just installed elevated guys this last year with my 60 foot tower here in
>Kansas. Using 6 inch steel pipe which has a wall thickness of slightly less
>that 1/4 inch (almost schedule 80), I buried three feet in the ground with 7
>feet sticking up out the ground. (I am 6'4" and do not want to hit my head
>ever again on the damn guys!) I dug a SQUARE hole and filled the hole with
>concrete six inches from the top of the hole. (If I ever move, I can cut
>the pipe off below ground...put dirt over the holes...grow grass...and no
>one knows the difference.) I used ship paint to paint the pipes before
>pouring concrete to cut down on rust and such. I had "ears" welded onto the
>top of the posts where 3/4" hardened bolts go to the turn-buckles. IT took
>three guys to move these behemoths to the hole and stand them upright. I
>them poured concrete to the top of the posts filling them entirely. The
>concrete was cured for three weeks before any stress was placed on the guy
>points. The holes are square to keep the turning momentum at a minimum.
>
>My brother who is a PE looked at the installation and said...."the damn
>house will go in the tornado, but the tower will still me there." (Would you
>trust his engineering license?)
>
>Guy tension is snug, but not tight since I don't want to "compress" the
>tower downward into the ground. The idea is to stop the tower from moving
>side ways violently at the top and middle in wind. There is some play in
>the guys, so there is not all that much pressure against the guy posts.
>
>Since I have installed these guy points (which were my first) we have had at
>least 10 days of very heavy wind here...which blew the damn beam off the
>tower!!!! Yes, the beam was badly damaged, but the tower stood the test.
>This year in Kansas we have had several wind gusts to 70 and 80 MPH in
>blowing rain and snow. We've had days where the wind blew constantly at 30
>to 50 miles an hour. This went on for more than 24 hours at a time. I keep
>a close watch on the guys posts for ground movement and see none.
>
>Total cost: $100.00 (with concrete!)
>
>Guess, I didn't go hight enough with the tower.
>
>73's
>
>Lee Buller
>k0wa@southwind.net
>
Yeah, that sounds like well casing pipe or something...plenty strong I'm sure.
My only caveat to your installation would be some concern about ground contact
on the pipe causing it to rust out, but if it's a very heavy pipe, it'll be
a long before that happens.
As a general rule, you want the concrete from you hole to end up slightly above
ground level and domed so that water will not pool up against the support.
Another neat thing we did (N3RR and I) was use roofing caulk (a black tar in
a tube) to coat the support a few inches into and out of the block of concrete
as added precaution against rust at the ground contact point.
This stuff is much more important when you are talking about tower bases.
They are generally much lighter gauge steel. If you are burying a section of
tower for the base, MAKE SURE that the concrete extends up out of the ground and
is contoured for proper drainage! You dont want any standing water and/or
especially soil contacting the tower base. Ask W3LPL if you dont think
this can be a problem...
73, Tyler kf3p@cais.com
>From Rod Greene <w7zrc@micron.net> Wed Apr 24 01:10:00 1996
From: Rod Greene <w7zrc@micron.net> (Rod Greene)
Subject: ARRL SS Awards
Message-ID: <m0uBsAD-000iDwC@majordomo.micron.net>
Just wanted to thank ARRL for their prompt disbursement of the '95 SS
awards. I received my cup, pin and NW Section Award today in the mail. I
think that's great service! Thanks to Ken Kopp, K0PP/7 for sponsoring the
NW CW Low Power Award again.
73, Rod
---- Rod Greene Boise ID - DN13UN - w7zrc@micron.net <>< ----
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