> Folks considering Aluma Tower have probably already visited
> the company's web site http://www.alumatower.com/ . There are
> some pretty impressive testimonials from Emergency Management
> Officials from Florida (the folks that deal with severe weather
> for a living...).
Florida EMA's trailer towers only come out after the fact - they
don't need to deal with real weather.
> I wonder if those blowing smoke on the product ever owned
> one?
There is an Aluma Tower out back of AES in Orlando. I've seen
it many times and it definitely fits the "patio furniture"
category. I would not trust it with much more than the 15'
of 2" mast and VHF collinear that's on it. Aluma's Hamfest
display does not lend itself to confidence in the structural
capacity of their "towers" either.
As far as I'm concerned, given the relative strength of
steel vs. aluminum (in grades that "mortals" can afford) -
any aluminum tower would need to be twice the size (face
width and "rail" diameter) to have the same capacity as
a steel tower. Aluminum is far more prone to fracture
from work hardening that steel.
73,
... Joe, W4TV
> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces@contesting.com
> [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of WA3GIN
> Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2008 6:57 PM
> To: Larry stowell; towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Crank up Tower
>
>
> I wonder if those blowing smoke on the product ever owned
> one? Seems like
> sometimes folks just make a sideways comment that is really
> not much more
> than a commenter's subjective opinion of "one"...sort of like
> those wacki
> e-ham reviews where the new ham is blowing smoke about a
> really good radio
> because he hasn't figured out how to operate it, haha.
>
> Folks considering Aluma Tower have probably already visited
> the company's
> web site http://www.alumatower.com/ . There are some pretty
> impressive
> testimonials from Emergency Management Officials from Florida
> (the folks
> that deal with severe weather for a living...).
>
> I've seen the trailer tower product that Aluma Tower offers
> for emergency
> responders. Its hardly patio furniture. Well built, old
> school welds and a
> seriously well designed tower trailer product!
>
> My subjective opinion of one ;-)
>
> 73,
> dave
> wa3gin
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Larry stowell" <lclarks@nc.rr.com>
> To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2008 2:25 PM
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Crank up Tower
>
>
> >
> > My friends I take acceptation to all this crankup tower "stuff".
> >
> > I have a 75HD Aluma tower, if it "lawn furniture" I'll invite the
> > elephants over to sit. I could not
> > afford to have a 75ft tower erected and do not have friends
> to help as I
> > had just moved from out of
> > state. Nor did I have or want guys at ground or elevated.
> So that left me
> > with the only option in a
> > crank-up. I Looked at US towers and was quoted $2500 for
> shipping(this was
> > before the Mid-west
> > shipping). I installed the Aluma by myself and used the
> "ground post" so
> > no concrete, its been up
> > for 7 years with a C31XR for 2 yrs and now a 4el SteppIR. I
> crank-up and
> > down depending on the
> > weather and for maintenance( it tilts also and power winch
> for up and
> > down).
> >
> > I no that there are several different models in the Aluma
> line so its
> > not
> > fair to say that the whole
> > line is "weak".
> >
> > 73 Larry K1ZW
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: towertalk-bounces@contesting.com
> > [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Julio
> > Peralta
> > Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 2:24 PM
> > To: K7LXC@aol.com; towertalk@contesting.com; k0son@frontiernet.net
> > Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Crank up Tower
> >
> > Steve the tower you described reminds me of the Aluma Tower
> which is
> > made
> > here in Florida. It very
> > closely resembles lawn furniture. The Heights crank up
> towers, which are
> > also made in Florida, are a
> > much stronger constructed tower. They kind of look like an aluminum
> > version of a US Tower. I have
> > had experience with both and would not recommend the Aluma
> Tower but a
> > Heights Tower should be good
> > for any load for which they are rated.
> >
> > Julio, W4HY
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: towertalk-bounces@contesting.com
> > [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of K7LXC@aol.com
> > Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 1:02 PM
> > To: towertalk@contesting.com; k0son@frontiernet.net
> > Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Crank up Tower
> >
> >
> > In a message dated 2/23/2008 9:02:49 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
> > towertalk-request@contesting.com
> > writes:
> >
> >> I'm new to the list & need some information on Heights Crank up
> > towers
> > without the tilt over feature. OK here's the background. I use to
> > have a
> > 50 ft Universal at my old
> > house. I liked the tower, but 50 ft is now above my
> >
> > comfort level for working on towers, I'd like to get a crankup and
> > think
> > the Heights would be good
> > one. So, I would like to get in contact with anyone who
> currently owns, or
> > has owned a Heights crank
> > up. I've read their web site & now want to talk to owners
> & get the real
> > story.
> >
> >
> > A customer of mine bought a 100-foot version. He
> had never had
> > a
> > tower before and bought it
> > because he could get it in his backyard without too much
> trouble and then
> > he'd have a 100' tower.
> > After everything was done, he wanted a professional opinion
> about his
> > installation. He made one
> > fatal error
> > in locating the guy anchors which we corrected.
> >
> > EVERYTHING about this tower was undersized and
> > under-engineered
> > IMO.
> > The 3 base bolts were 1/2" or so. The winch and haul lines were
> > inadequate - the winch got real hot
> > as we were cranking it up. I can't remember if the cables
> were rope or
> > steel - they might've been
> > rope.
> >
> > This was a guyed tower which meant you had to be
> VERY careful
> > as
> > it's being cranked up and
> > then the guy tensions were all on the haul cables.
> >
> > He called the other day as he was preparing to lower it and
> > the
> >
> > safety latch that locked some of the sections wouldn't
> release so it
> > wouldn't descend. I suggested
> > a couple of things that I would have done if I'd been
> there and he went
> > out to lower it. He called
> > back a little later and said that he indeed got the safety latch to
> > release but as he was lowering
> > it, the winch got away from him and the whole thing
> collapsed. The yagi
> > booms bent and the whole
> > tower wound up jammed in the lower section.
> >
> > I was saddened to hear about his calamity because
> he made some
> > bad
> > decisions that led to
> > this unfortunate occurrence. (OTOH I was glad I wasn't the
> guy that did
> > it.) I would never have
> > recommended that he buy this tower - 100' of 45G would have
> been a much
> > better decision and it'd
> > still be in the air for the next 25 years or more.
> >
> > If you've got your heart set on a crank-up, get a US Tower
> > model. They're steel, well built and US Tower has been known to go
> > out of their way for customer service.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Steve K7LXC
> > TOWER TECH -
> > Professional tower services for hams
> > Cell: 206-890-4188
> > _www.championradio.com/installs.html_
> > (http://www.championradio.com/installs.html)
> >
> >
> >
> > **************Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on
> AOL Living.
> >
> >
> (http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-cam
> > po
> > s-duffy/
> > 2050827?NCID=aolcmp00300000002598)
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > TowerTalk@contesting.com
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> >
> >
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> >
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> >
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> >
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> >
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>
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