albraun@socketis.net wrote:
>
> I was working on my tower yesterday and noticed a potential
> problem. The tower is 100 ft of Rohn 45 with a Mosley Pro-67 on
> top, guyed at 3 levels (33, 63 and 93 feet) with 6700 lb Phillystran.
> The guy points consist of 4 ft long screw-in anchors (the big ones
> sold at the farm & home store for tying down mobile homes). I dug
> holes and poured concrete since I couldn't get them to screw. The
> holes are roughly straight down, bigger at the bottom, but the
> anchors themselves are at a slant, roughly parallel to the axis of
> the guy cables. The concrete cylinders are each about a foot in
> diameter. This installation has been in place for almost exactly
> 5 years.
>
> I think that 2 of them may be starting to pull out a little.
> The concrete pad for one of them now sits about 2 inches above the
> ground level, and the other is about 1 inch above. There are spaces
> just big enough to fit my fingers into that go at least 6 inches into
> the ground on the side away from the tower. I noticed the 2 incher
> last spring but it didn't occur to me at the time what was happening.
> I don't think it has changed much since then.
>
> The ground in my area is mostly clay and rock without a lot of topsoil.
>
> My questions are these:
> 1. Is there anything I can do to salvage the installation, such as
> putting something into the holes to fill the spaces?
>
> 2. Should I do something right away or could it wait until the spring?
> I'm going to be hard pressed for time to plant new guy anchors before it
> gets cold.
>
> I realize that the best solution is to put down new anchors. I also
> understand that it isn't possible to give reliable answers without
> having seen my situation. However I'd appreciate whatever thoughts
> anyone might have. Thanks and 73 - Alan NS0B
>
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
> * Alan Braun MD, NS0B/V31EV *Internet: albraun@socketis.net *
> * Jefferson City, MO *Packet: NS0B@N0LBA.#cemo.mo.usa.noam *
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
>
> --
> FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
> Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com
> Administrative requests: towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
> Problems: K7LXC@contesting.com
> Sponsored by Akorn Access, Inc & KM9Palbraun@socketis.net wrote:
>
> I was working on my tower yesterday and noticed a potential
> problem. The tower is 100 ft of Rohn 45 with a Mosley Pro-67 on
> top, guyed at 3 levels (33, 63 and 93 feet) with 6700 lb Phillystran.
> The guy points consist of 4 ft long screw-in anchors (the big ones
> sold at the farm & home store for tying down mobile homes). I dug
> holes and poured concrete since I couldn't get them to screw. The
> holes are roughly straight down, bigger at the bottom, but the
> anchors themselves are at a slant, roughly parallel to the axis of
> the guy cables. The concrete cylinders are each about a foot in
> diameter. This installation has been in place for almost exactly
> 5 years.
>
> I think that 2 of them may be starting to pull out a little.
> The concrete pad for one of them now sits about 2 inches above the
> ground level, and the other is about 1 inch above. There are spaces
> just big enough to fit my fingers into that go at least 6 inches into
> the ground on the side away from the tower. I noticed the 2 incher
> last spring but it didn't occur to me at the time what was happening.
> I don't think it has changed much since then.
>
> The ground in my area is mostly clay and rock without a lot of topsoil.
>
> My questions are these:
> 1. Is there anything I can do to salvage the installation, such as
> putting something into the holes to fill the spaces?
>
> 2. Should I do something right away or could it wait until the spring?
> I'm going to be hard pressed for time to plant new guy anchors before it
> gets cold.
>
> I realize that the best solution is to put down new anchors. I also
> understand that it isn't possible to give reliable answers without
> having seen my situation. However I'd appreciate whatever thoughts
> anyone might have. Thanks and 73 - Alan NS0B
>
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
> * Alan Braun MD, NS0B/V31EV *Internet: albraun@socketis.net *
> * Jefferson City, MO *Packet: NS0B@N0LBA.#cemo.mo.usa.noam *
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
>
> --
> FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
> Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com
> Administrative requests: towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
> Problems: K7LXC@contesting.com
> Sponsored by Akorn Access, Inc & KM9Palbraun@socketis.net wrote:
>
> I was working on my tower yesterday and noticed a potential
> problem. The tower is 100 ft of Rohn 45 with a Mosley Pro-67 on
> top, guyed at 3 levels (33, 63 and 93 feet) with 6700 lb Phillystran.
> The guy points consist of 4 ft long screw-in anchors (the big ones
> sold at the farm & home store for tying down mobile homes). I dug
> holes and poured concrete since I couldn't get them to screw. The
> holes are roughly straight down, bigger at the bottom, but the
> anchors themselves are at a slant, roughly parallel to the axis of
> the guy cables. The concrete cylinders are each about a foot in
> diameter. This installation has been in place for almost exactly
> 5 years.
>
> I think that 2 of them may be starting to pull out a little.
> The concrete pad for one of them now sits about 2 inches above the
> ground level, and the other is about 1 inch above. There are spaces
> just big enough to fit my fingers into that go at least 6 inches into
> the ground on the side away from the tower. I noticed the 2 incher
> last spring but it didn't occur to me at the time what was happening.
> I don't think it has changed much since then.
>
> The ground in my area is mostly clay and rock without a lot of topsoil.
>
> My questions are these:
> 1. Is there anything I can do to salvage the installation, such as
> putting something into the holes to fill the spaces?
>
> 2. Should I do something right away or could it wait until the spring?
> I'm going to be hard pressed for time to plant new guy anchors before it
> gets cold.
>
> I realize that the best solution is to put down new anchors. I also
> understand that it isn't possible to give reliable answers without
> having seen my situation. However I'd appreciate whatever thoughts
> anyone might have. Thanks and 73 - Alan NS0B
>
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
> * Alan Braun MD, NS0B/V31EV *Internet: albraun@socketis.net *
> * Jefferson City, MO *Packet: NS0B@N0LBA.#cemo.mo.usa.noam *
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
>
> --
> FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
> Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com
> Administrative requests: towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
> Problems: K7LXC@contesting.com
> Sponsored by Akorn Access, Inc & KM9Palbraun@socketis.net wrote:
>
> I was working on my tower yesterday and noticed a potential
> problem. The tower is 100 ft of Rohn 45 with a Mosley Pro-67 on
> top, guyed at 3 levels (33, 63 and 93 feet) with 6700 lb Phillystran.
> The guy points consist of 4 ft long screw-in anchors (the big ones
> sold at the farm & home store for tying down mobile homes). I dug
> holes and poured concrete since I couldn't get them to screw. The
> holes are roughly straight down, bigger at the bottom, but the
> anchors themselves are at a slant, roughly parallel to the axis of
> the guy cables. The concrete cylinders are each about a foot in
> diameter. This installation has been in place for almost exactly
> 5 years.
>
> I think that 2 of them may be starting to pull out a little.
> The concrete pad for one of them now sits about 2 inches above the
> ground level, and the other is about 1 inch above. There are spaces
> just big enough to fit my fingers into that go at least 6 inches into
> the ground on the side away from the tower. I noticed the 2 incher
> last spring but it didn't occur to me at the time what was happening.
> I don't think it has changed much since then.
>
> The ground in my area is mostly clay and rock without a lot of topsoil.
>
> My questions are these:
> 1. Is there anything I can do to salvage the installation, such as
> putting something into the holes to fill the spaces?
>
> 2. Should I do something right away or could it wait until the spring?
> I'm going to be hard pressed for time to plant new guy anchors before it
> gets cold.
>
> I realize that the best solution is to put down new anchors. I also
> understand that it isn't possible to give reliable answers without
> having seen my situation. However I'd appreciate whatever thoughts
> anyone might have. Thanks and 73 - Alan NS0B
>
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
> * Alan Braun MD, NS0B/V31EV *Internet: albraun@socketis.net *
> * Jefferson City, MO *Packet: NS0B@N0LBA.#cemo.mo.usa.noam *
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
>
> --
> FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
> Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com
> Administrative requests: towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
> Problems: K7LXC@contesting.com
> Sponsored by Akorn Access, Inc & KM9P
ALAN, FIRST I AM NOT GOOD WITH THIS COMPUTER, I AM NOT SURE I AM
REPLYING CORRECTLY. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND YOU SAYING, I CAN SEE
ONE MAJOR MISTAKE YOU MADE. THE ANCHORS YOU USED ARE MADE TO SCREW
INTO THE DIRT, YOU ACTUALLY WEAKENED THAT INSTALLATION WITH THAT
AMOUNT OF CONCRETE. IF YOU HAD PROBLEMS GETTING THEM TO START INTO
THE GROUND, YOU MAY TRY SOAKING THE GROUND WITH WATER FOR SEVERAL
HOURS,SLOWLY, DON'T WASTE TOO MUCH WATER,THE GROUND CAN ONLY SOAK
UP SO MUCH. AFTER THIS YOU MAY HAVE TO TRY THE ANCHOR AT DIFFERENT
ANGLES UNTIL IT GRABS, THEN SLOWLY START TILTING THE ANCHOR BACK
TOWARD THE TOWER AT THE AVERAGE ANGLE OF THE GUY CABLES.ANOTHER
THING,I HEAVILY RECOMMEND USING AN ANCHOR AT LEAST 6 FOOT LONG
FOR A 100 FOOT ROHN 45. A 4 FOOT ANCHOR IS TOO MARGINAL FOR THAT
SIZE TOWER AND ANTENNA, EVEN TOWER ALONE!!IF YOU GET A 6 ft. ANCHOR
ALL THE WAY DOWN, IT WILL NEVER PULL UP, IF IT DOES,YOUR HOUSE
IS ALREADY GONE, AND YOU ARE NOT WORRIED ABOUT ANY TOWER.I PUT
UP TOWERS FOR A LIVING,AND SERIOUSLY, I HAVE NEVER SEEN A 6 ft.
ANCHOR BUDGE EVEN A LITTLE!! YOU CAN GET 6 FT. ANCHORS AT A T.V.
CABLE SUPPLY COMPANY,AND UTILITIES SUPPLY. YOUR CABLE COMPANY
CAN FILL YOU IN ON THEIR SUPPLIER. BE SURE YOU GET ONES WITH
AT LEAST A 6" SCREW DISC AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ANCHOR. ANCHORS
SHORTER THAN 6 FT.(BUT NOT LESS THAN 2-3 FT.), ARE FAIRLY PRACTICAL
FOR TOWERS LESS THAN 80-90FT.,AS LONG AS YOU DON'T HAVE A LARGE
ANTENNA UP. AND THE TOWER SIZE I MEAN IS LIKE ROHN 25, OR SO.I
RARELY USE THE EARTH ANCHORS, FOR IN ORDER TO WARRANTY MY
INSTALLATIONS, THEY MUST BE BY THE BOOK. YOU CAN PUT IN NEW ANCHORS
WITH NO PROBLEM. PUT THEM IN ABOUT 1-2 FEET SHORT OF THE OLD ONES,
THIS ALLOWS YOU NOT TO PEICE YOUR GUYS, BUT YOU WILL SHORTEN EACH
GUY A FOOT OR SO. ANY WAY I CAN HELP YOU, MAIL ME BACK. BY THE
WAY, IF YOU SUSPECT AN ANCHOR HAS MOVED,IT WOULD BE A MAJOR
GAMBLE TO TRY TO "BUY TIME"!!!73 DAN dann4gnr@hartcom.net
--
FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests: towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: K7LXC@contesting.com
Sponsored by Akorn Access, Inc & KM9P
|