I put my Hy-Tower on top of a barn roof (no concrete base) and 4-way guyed
with Phillystran at the top of the triangular tower section (24 ft point.)
I am in the heart of Tornado alley in south central Oklahoma and so far so
good. No tornados on my place yet but straight winds blew the 14x14 overhead
doors at both ends of the 37x73 ft barn so hard they folded in the middle
and came out of their tracks. More recently winds blew two sliding doors
off my other barn (hay barn) and I "gained" significant quantities of
galvanized corrugated steel from who knows what source, I just found it
scattered in the pastures after a storm. My OCF dipole (270 ft Carolina
Windom) blew down but the Hy-Gain Hy-Tower vertical is still up there with
no changes. New model with stainless steel triangle base.
I am almost finished with a project to install an assembly to use a hand
winch to raise and lower the Hy-Tower.
I have three tower erection projects in the works. One is 95% complete
another nearly so and the third is a long way from finished. The third
includes repurposing the bottom 40 ft of a 100 ft tower that had a wind
generator on it. The three legs are 14 ft on center and 4 inches ID with
1/4 inch walls. I have built an A-frame/gin pole and lowered it safely to
the ground (two legs are hinged as it is a tilt over tower.) I used the
front bumper mounted 12,000 lb Warn winch on the front of my pickup camper.
Next to take it apart, transport it to my ranch, refurb it, reassemble it,
erect it, mount an automatic raise/lower free standing tower on it at the 40
ft level or nearly so.
Patrick AF4CK
-----Original Message-----
From: John Holmes
Sent: Monday, August 19, 2013 11:24 AM
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Older HyTower
In addition, the new HyTower base is made of rather thin stainless steel and
the older one is made of very solid steel. Manuals for newer and older
HyTowers are somewhat different.
John W9ILY
From: r miles <greenacres113@charter.net>
To: towertalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] Older Hytower
Message-ID: <6fc25441.4fefa2.1409696bf93.Webtop.49@charter.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
Not sure if anything has changed electricly but there are important
mech. changes. Mine is apx 25 yr.s old & folded at the base in a storm.
Broke all 3 base insulators & bend the aluminium tubes in the concrete.
I thought I'd just replace the old warped base plate too. No can do. I
was told by MFJ the current base plate is slightly larger & the leg
spacing is apx 1/2'' larger. So I ended up using a 10' section of pipe
to 'gently' bring the aluminium legs vertical. I heated the base plate &
hammered it back into shape. Rather than use a propane torch my son
suggested MAAP gas. Hotter & worked FB. A friend suggested some very
gud non-metalic guy rope. Very gud UV rating & 4400# rated. I felt it
easier to use that than suffer another disaster. The HT is rated 75 MPH
survival but the late Dec. storm was that powerful or more. In the Mid
South Nov & Dec storms can be the worst. Tn often has Nov & Dec
tornados.
I replaced some of the stinger standoff insulated strips too. The new
ones are exactly as the ones pictured in my old manual. Not much has
changed.
As to finding a used HT. It can be difficult. This one came from
central Fl to NW Tn on top of my car on roof racks. Lots of stares from
other drivers. Not everyday you see a Ford Focus wagon with 3 tower
sections & two 4'' PVC tubes holding the stingers cruzing the hi-way.
I was almost home & stopped to gas up the car. A pick-up truck with
Wisconsin plates pulled next to me to get gas. The driver walked over to
me & said: 'Hey that's a HyTower'. I almost fell over! He was a ham on
vacation & he had a HyTower up at home. Small world.
K9IL
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