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[TowerTalk] Re: Pine tree tower base

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Subject: [TowerTalk] Re: Pine tree tower base
From: k5na@bga.com (Richard L. King)
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 1997 15:01:39
At 09:58 AM 9/16/97 -0400, K5RC wrote:

>I've also received my "welcome" to Nevada, trying to put in my first tower
>base. As you mention, after six inches it is rock and more rock. I took a
>queue from my elmer, Sam Harris, W1FZJ, who was never encumbered by natural
>obstacles. I cut down a pine tree with an 8" base, placed the Rohn base
>section over it, secured the tower to the tree with angle iron, placed a 2' x
>2' x 2' wooden form around the whole thing and poured it full of concrete. 

Tom, I am afraid that the tree stump will rot out in a few years leaving
your tower base very unstable and dangerous.

In New York, my QTH had a solid rock shelf (Or a rock as big as Rhode
Island) down about 18 inches. The rock shelf was everywhere. To install
tower bases I dug down to the rock shelf, drilled three holes down a couple
of feet, put 1" steel rods in the holes, set up and aligned the tower base,
then framed and poured concrete around it all. For guy anchors I drilled
holes and used the expandable rock anchors. The end result was a very solid
tower installation.

Remember the main purpose of the tower base for a guyed tower is to prevent
lateral movement. Good luck.

73, Richard
K5NA@BGA.COM
http://www.realtime.net/~k5na

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