At 09:07 PM 9/4/98 -0400, you wrote:
Mike!
About 3 years ago I faced the same question that you face today! I
was replacing my trusty old Mosley TA-33 that I had used for over 25 years
with a new KLM KT34XA. Since I already had an HDBX48 on a tilt-over base, I
decided that this would be the ideal place for it! Boy, was I ever wrong!
I decided to be on the "safe side" and add 3 guys to the tower...
just in case. The tower and antenna actually survived the first winter here
in Iowa. The Ham-IV rotor didn't! Closer inspection revealed that the top
two sections were also totaled from the constant torquing of the huge
antenna. So it all came down and the top two sections were replaced. I also
decided to homebrew a heavy-duty rotor plate and mount it and the new
Tailtwister rotor at about the 8ft level, where the tower is a lot more
substantial!
The following winter, I only lost one element from the KT34XA. The
rotor withstood the winter but the tower had several bent cross members and
several missing rivits! Again, the antenna was fixed and the tower was
repaired and back up it all went.
This past may, we experienced 103mph straight-line winds here and
the tower and antenna all came crashing down! Everything was a total loss.
Close inspection revealed that the tower rivits were again popping out due
to the constant torque even at the lower section.
I gave it all away and am currently erecting 90ft of Rohn 45G with
monobanders! As I type this, my wife is applauding me for telling you this
so that your wife doesn't have to go through what she did! The specs on that
tower also say not to use an antenna with a boom length of over 10ft!!! 32ft
is stretching it a bit. I have learned my lesson! Please head this warning!!
Chuck K0TVD
>I have a Rohn HDBX-48 tower. I have purchased a KLM KT-34XA yagi. I am
>worried that this antenna may cause too much torque stress on the tower.
>I do have another tower, a Rohn 25G at 60 feet which is guyed. It
>already has another antenna on it, but I can swap them over if I have
>to, but I would rather have the KLM on the HDBX tower as long as it will
>not cause any problems. Any suggestions appreciated.
>Mike, W4SMG
>
>
>
>--
>FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
>Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com
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>Problems: owner-towertalk@contesting.com
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>
>
>
Chuck Sudds K0TVD
Missouri Valley, Iowa USA
Heartland DX Association http://ns1.qsl.net/hdxa/
http://www.probe.net/~csudds/ or
http://www.probe.net/~beakers/
--
FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests: towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: owner-towertalk@contesting.com
Search: http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm
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