Thanks to all who have responded, here are some of the responses I have
received along with my replies:
>First don't work alone
My 17 year old son was on the ground level
>Second you will probably need a second person on the tower to help steady
>things.
They have told me 'only one on the tower at a time'
> 1: Put the mast in first
Cant do that I will explain later in here why
> 2: Have some ground crew, one person will do from what you have
> described
My sons are the only ones I have sent emails asking for help to various local
reflectors but no phone calls from anyone.
My sons only help, when they have time (which isn't much with girls, gaming
contests and schools), so I try to do as much alone as
possible and then wait on one of them when I absolutely have to ask.
> 3: Have the ground crew pull the antenna up to you and have it in a
> cradle
I dont know what you mean by cradle, I did this but dont know what you mean by
cradle, I just tied a rope around the mast and he
pulled it up using the 100 pound wall mount pulleys I mounted to one tower leg
and to the top of the gin pole with bolts.
> 4: You should be able just swing the antenna in and put the u-bolts
>thru the mounting plate.
My antenna is an older one called a Hornet and it has the mast through type
construction which includes a top inverted V shaped
configuration from each half of the boom to the top of the mast.
I think it is called a truss.
So it has to all go into the tower as one piece and then I can add mast by
removing the rotor and installing mast through the hole,
but the initial part is all one piece.
> 5. Be sure that you use a bottom pulley so that the ground crew
>pulls from the bottom of the tower.
I am using a bottom pulley and a pulley at the top of the gin pole.
> It seems from what I Gleaned from you re post. that your
> trying to install both the mast pipe and the antenna affixed
> to the mast pipe all at one time ?
> That my friend unless it's a small TV antenna that scenario
> becomes unwieldy... let alone add the element of wind or
> side thrust from a short gin pole pipe fixture from it's SIDE
> Angle. Then your not secured with your positions harness at
> he tapered APEX.
I have to do it as one piece, it would be impossible to assemble it at the top
of the tower. The things you just mentioned are
exactly some of those I was concerned with and dont know what to do about them.
>
> First IMHO get a second positioning lanyard ( rope ) with
I didn't know you could use two at a time, mine is a rope that came with the
full body climbing harness, I also have the round eye
at the shoulder blades with a flat lanyard the hooks onto the harness there and
the tower in case of a fall it has a folded part to
it that unravels during the fall to arrest the fall impact.
( I just learned its called a fall arrest lanyard).
> the first one keeping you in place adjust the second rope
> wraps etc with your BOTH free hands so your tight at he top
> OD center tube, keep them both secured as you step UP.
Never thought about this, might be just what I need.
>It's not always possible, but I can't stress how helpful it
> has been to have experienced mentors or to have
>worked (ground crew or in the air) with experienced
>Hams before embarking on my own projects.
I went to U-tube and downloaded some videos of various installations, before I
started all of this about three weeks ago now. Most
people dont have time anymore to help and the ones that do of course have time
because they are charging a fee.
I emailed a few times locally with no responses except from someone who would
charge $200.00 to do it. After trying it myself, I
dont blame him, in fact that seems cheap after hanging from the tower a few
times.
The issue is I cant afford it right now and I need to get this antenna in place
before CQWW CW on the 29th of November. The main
limiting factor so far has been the wind.
Today it is perfectly calm out there as I stare off the back patio at my lonely
tower one more time, so today I am getting my mind
set in the right attitude and direction to try it again,
God willing and the wind dont rise.
Bob AD5VJ
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