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[TowerTalk] hdbx or hbx? Or neither? (long, sorry)

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Subject: [TowerTalk] hdbx or hbx? Or neither? (long, sorry)
From: csudds@probe.net (Chuck Sudds)
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 20:28:17 -0600
At 04:22 PM 1/27/99 -0600, you wrote:

Hi Lou!

        As one who has already been through this dilemma, let me offer one
small piece of advice: DON'T DO IT! When Rohn states that this series of
self-supporting tower should not be used with antennas with boom lengths
over 10ft they mean it!

        I tried it with a KT34XA a few years back with disasterous results.
Luckily, I only lost a tower and a few antennas. With antennas with long
boom lengths, the twisting motion created on the tower is enormous.... much
greater than the tower can withstand. I attempted to counteract this by
mounting the rotor plate at the 12ft level, in a section of the tower that
is MUCH more substantial that the top section where they supply you the
rotor plate. I ran 40ft of HD 2" pipe up the center of the tower and
virtually (or so I thought) eliminated the twisting problem. I also guyed
the tower in three spots to further strengthen the whole set up.

        I offer, as proof of my statements, the following two photos that
were taken for insurance purposes:

http://www.probe.net/~beakers/tower1.jpg
http://www.probe.net/~beakers/tower2.jpg

If these do not convince you to "Do what the manufacturer says," nothing
will. I would not want to see anyone go through what I did this past year.
BTW, the tower was hit by 104 mph straight-line winds from the South. I have
since replaced it with 90ft of Rohn 45g properly guyed and anchored, per
Rohn's book.

Good Luck!!


Chuck Sudds  KØTVD
Missouri Valley, Iowa USA
   Heartland DX Association   http://ns1.qsl.net/hdxa/

http://www.probe.net/~csudds/  or 
http://www.probe.net/~beakers/


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