I got most of the documentation I absolutely needed through back channels -
underground documentation as it were. Yes, UST provided PE drawings. But
what I really needed was a wiring diagram for the controls which did not and
still do not work reliably. I got a reverse-engineered hand drawing and an
unattributed drawing that I believe came from a predecessor company that may
or may not match what UST ships. I am yet to find any instructions on
re-stringing the cable and, like some of the advisors on this reflector have
recommended, intend to put it off as long as possible. There is also no
advice on how to force the bottom section to fit the baseplate. (It took
three men jumping on a huge crowbar.) And no comment on mis-drilled coax-arm
mounts, incorrect mast shipment, rotor plate at wrong level, torn cable
housings, etc. The tower arrives on the day you have arranged crew. It has
all sorts of problems and you just have to live with it or delay your
project by weeks or months. They understand the urgency of working around
problems so they have no incentive to eliminate them through documentation,
design or care in handling.
Yes, I definitely considered Rohn. I have had three Rohn 25 towers over the
years and I love them. Had this installation been in a less visible
location, it would have been Rohn 45 or perhaps Trylon. The crankup was a
concession to my wonderful neighbors. They appreciate that I crank it down
when out of town or not operating for a while. It cost several times as much
as 45 and has far less stacking potential. If I had to do it again, I would
spend an extra year cultivating relationships and go with a fixed tower.
/Rick N6XI
On 6/6/06, Blake Bowers <bbowers@townsqr.com> wrote:
>
> What specific documentation are you looking for, other
> than the PE drawings they have?
>
> Of course, expect their pricing to go up as the amount
> of documentation they produce go up.
>
> Have you considered Rohn?
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Rick Tavan N6XI" <rtavan@gmail.com>
> To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Sent: Monday, June 05, 2006 7:49 PM
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Action against US Tower?
>
>
> > Has anyone considered taking legal action to force US Tower to document
> > their products? Their attitude on documentation is despicable.
> Actually,
> > I
> > think they are shooting themselves in the foot. They should incur
> greater
> > liability by refusing to document the products than they would if they
> > published decent documentation full of prudent warnings. They actively
> > sell
> > this stuff to us, so they have to expect us to install it, use it,
> > maintain
> > it and try to repair it. I feel sorry for whoever turns out to be the
> > first
> > fatal victim of withheld documentation. The resulting lawsuit may break
> > the
> > logjam but it could also break UST.
> >
> > /Rick N6XI
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > TowerTalk mailing list
> > TowerTalk@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
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