Is it a matter of not being able to get the concrete truck close to
the hole, or you can't get anything near the hole?
At my qth there was no way to get a concrete truck closer than 150'
from my 130' tower base.
So I paid the guy with the backhoe to be at the concrete pour.
We had the concrete truck pour (through the chute) the concrete
into the backhoe shovel, about 1 cubic yard at a time, and the
backhoe carried the concrete on my rock ledge over VERY uneven
ground to the tower bases.
It went surprisingly fast and very well with virtually no
concrete spillage.
I used a large backhoe. You can also rent a small backhoe
with a small shovel and bulldozer plow and the small ones
can fit almost anywhere and navigate highly uneven ground
and rock ledge very easily.
The project should take less than 1 hour - I had the large
backhoe fill two tower bases, and six guy anchors with
20 cu yds of concrete in about 1 hour! Both tower bases and
4 of the guy anchors were complete inaccessible to the
concrete truck.
If you saw my QTH and where the tower bases and guy anchors are in the
deep woods on rockledge, you would marvel at how it was possible.
For the $200 I spent on the backhoe and operator, it was amazingly
well worth it.
73
Bob KQ2M
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Coleman" <aa4lr@arrl.net>
To: <KI9A@aol.com>
Cc: <towertalk@contesting.com>; <smc@w9smc.contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 22, 2004 7:00 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] antenna height vs hassle
>
> On Aug 15, 2004, at 6:27 PM, KI9A@aol.com wrote:
>
> > I live on a small lot, can't really have
> > a guyed tower. I now have a roof tower with my 2 meter yagi at about
> > 27', the
> > A3 tribander at 30' & a 6 meter yagi at 33'.
>
> I had a similar situation at my old QTH - A3S at 35 feet, 2m boomer at
> 43 feet.
>
> > In order to put this 40' tower up, I would have to hire out the hole
> > (5'x5'x5'), then hand carry all of the concrete approx 120-150'
> > across the grass, on
> > an uneven area (ugh). No way to get the truck any closer.
>
> Here's some alternatives. First, you don't necessarily have to use a
> ready-mix truck. You could consider mixing the concrete yourself. If
> you did this, you could rent a small mixer, and do two bags at a time.
> (Note that it would take in excess of 100 bags, so I wouldn't recommend
> this)
>
> Second, you can rent a powered wheelbarrow to carry the concrete from
> the curb to the hole. either that, or get about four good friends with
> wheelbarrows to shuttle the concrete across the yard.
>
> Third, if the hole is downhill from the road, you can rig up a trough
> to the hole. Failing that, you can rent a pump truck to move the
> concrete uphill.
>
> > Bottom line is this...is the cost & hassle of this worth the potential
> > gain?
> > If the tower was 60-80', I'd say of course, but, going from 30' to
> > 45', I
> > dunno if there would be much improvement to be worth it. I'm beginning
> > to think
> > not.
>
> At my old QTH, I have the A3S at 35 feet. Today it is on a tower next
> to the house at just under 50 feet. It certainly behaves differently,
> especially on 20m. Further, I have much less RFI in the house.
>
> 125 cubic feet of concrete seems like a huge hassle, but I've gotten
> much more enjoyment out of my station since I have a (modestly)
> improved station.
>
> Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL Mail: aa4lr@arrl.net
> Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
> -- Wilbur Wright, 1901
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless
Weather Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any
questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
_______________________________________________
See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather
Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions
and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
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