I've installed the RT-2632. It is not a big job, and sounds like you've
already handled the hardest and costliest part by reinforcing the roof where
you intend to install it. I built the tower on the ground, laying down and
rotating it as required to reach all the parts, and then stood it upright on
the patio. Pulled it over to the edge of the roof of the house where it was
being installed, then climbed up onto the roof myself and hauled the tower
up there single-handedly. It's not very heavy but is awkward because of its
height. To avoid making it heavier than needed during installation, I kept
it "stripped" as described during the installation process, which including
finding the reinforcing beam centers, drilling holes aligned with the foot
brackets, and ultimately attaching the tower to the roof.
Once so attached, I climbed it several times (using a climbing belt/harness)
to re-check bolt tightness, check levelness of the rotator plate, etc.
Then, I pulled two of the leg bolts and laid the tower over on the roof,
supporting it a few feet above the roof at the far end using a saw horse.
With the tower laid over, I installed the rotator and mast, wired up the
rotator and then tilted the affair back up and bolted it into position.
Installed the beam and coax after it was "up." Without any guys, an HF beam
will just slide up the side of the tower easily and is a cinch to install
anything you can support.
Whole job including installing rotator, beam, control cable, coax took maybe
two hours.
I think it's a pleasure to work on. In the case of the installation
discussed here, after everything was installed, I did guy the tower to guy
anchors installed near the corners of the roof (4 positions in a square
pattern) because the installation was on top of a house nearly on a cliff
overlooking the ocean, very windy location. In a "calmer" location, the
guys probably wouldn't be required.
WB2WIK/6
-----Original Message-----
From: larryjspammenot@teleport.com [mailto:larryj@teleport.com]
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 10:40 AM
To: TowerTalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] GM 9ft Roof Tower is up
Has anyone here on the TT list actually used one of the 26' tall Glen Martin
RT-2632 roof towers? If so, did you need any guying, or did you use just the
recommended bolts into a solid wooden base in the roof?
I had a new garage/shop building built last year, and I gave a copy of the
GM 26' roof tower prints of the required base and support wooden beams to
the garage construction crew (which are available on the GM site). This was
so that they could incorporate sufficient sturdy wooden beam supports in the
roof while they were building the garage, as were recommended for the
RT-2632 by the Glen Martin Co. All of the recommended heavy wooden beams are
under the shingles, placed where GM recommended, and securely anchored to
the rest of the roof support trusses. I figured it would be best to do this
while the garage was being built, instead of as an afterthought.
It looks like a challenging project to have something this big mounted on a
roof. I originally considering having one of these 26' roof towers installed
on this new garage to support something like a TA-33 3-element tribander
beam or a 2-element triband cubical quad antenna. I'd be interested to hear
about anyone who used one of these roof towers, or even the next size lower
version.
LJ
-----Original Message-----
>From: w7psk@w7psk.net
>Sent: Jun 11, 2007 6:17 AM
>To: TowerTalk@contesting.com
>Subject: [TowerTalk] GM 9ft Roof Tower is up
>
>Thanks for all the suggestions, pictures and help. A4S looks very sturdy
and stable up there. Tower was dead level when we were done and mast is
level vertical. My brother who is about 210# stood on the tower to do a
couple tweeks and he said it felt firm and not shakey. We used 8ft 2X8s on
the rafter side and the bolts go through pressure treated 2X4s on the roof
then into the roof and into the 2x8s. Sealed it all with roof tar sealer
and it comes through the bolt holes. also sealed around the 2X4s and on top
of the tower feet.
>
>I Think it might last a while :).
>
>
>Again thanks
>
>Scotty W7PSK
>
>(happy to have a beam again)
>_______________________________________________
>
>
>
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