You should consider the trees to have a 100% set back requirement ala some
municipalities: if the tree would fall across a guy or anchor during a full
length fall in any direction, it should be gone. Then visualize the trees
10 years from now and apply the same standards to them now. Be mindful of
limber limbs that during high winds could rub against guys (especially
Phillystran). Watch the trees during a thunderstorm with 50+ mph winds and
you will be amazed at the excursions some of those limbs can make.
I cleared 100's of junipers out of the way, and about a dozen oaks that did
not meet the above requirement (but I'm set for firewood for a while!).
Even if you have an ordinance that requires replacing any tree you remove,
it is still cheaper than replacing the tower and guys, or disputing an
insurance claim denial as to whether or not your failure to remove the
trees was not good installation practice. We would have never been able
to run the tram line (much less the back guys) or get the antennas up on to
the tower if we hadn't removed some of the tree cover. I still don't have
all my slopers up because of the hassle of getting a line up and over the
all the trees and through the antennas mounted on the tower, but I draw the
line at removing trees for that, at least at this point. I am planting
more trees than I removed (voluntarily) to shade the shack and reduce
visibility of the antennas from the road.
BTW, sometimes the tree huggers are good for DX. The city is buying
multiple 1000's of acres near my remote QTH to make sure they never get
developed, which for me means less QRN and fewer potential TVI target
devices.
73 John N5CQ
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Fisher - W4AN [SMTP:w4an@contesting.com]
Sent: Monday, August 10, 1998 11:01 AM
To: LYN
Cc: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Towers & Trees
When it comes to trees, my advice is to figure out what trees you need to
take down. Then take 50% more. This advice was given to me by K5ZD and
I chose to ignore it. The tree-man was happy I did.
73
W4AN
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