Shack, Tower, Website Updates...

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kb0nly

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It's been a while since i posted on here, just wanted to let those of you who have seen my shack and tower pictures in the past that i have updated my website with new pics of most everything.

And to top it all off i'm putting up a second tower, yeah you heard me right, a second tower! This one will be about 58ft to the top with the mast. Anyway, have a look at the site, enjoy the pictures on the Shack, Tower #1, and Tower #2 pages, and check out the new Hints and Tips page. If you have any suggestions for a subject to go on that page let me know! Just hit the email link at the bottom of any page on my website.

Oh, and i think since the last time i posted here the mobile installation pages on my website are also newly revised. The wife also has her own mobile install now.

www.kb0nly.net
 
K

kb0nly

Guest
Yeah a lot of batboard members on here. Seems like some of them are more active here than over there.

By the way, in case any of the mods here read this, i LOVE the ability to click on the county on the state map here on the database. That has been a huge help.
 
K

kb0nly

Guest
Thanks!

It took a lot more time and work than money, but there is plenty of money in there too for good measure... lol

Seems like thats the question i always get, how much did it cost. Hard to say, i don't really keep track, i just take on one project at a time and slowly acquire a piece here and a piece there. The first tower actually cost me some money, it was still in the air but unused, haggled with the guy and got a reasonable price on it, basically because it was in good shape i was willing to pay for it and take it down.

The second tower was a freebie! But i had to remove a tree before it could go up, the tree had to go anyway as it was a hazard and in risk of coming down if it got a heavy ice load this winter. Almost $700 to remove the tree!! But it was HUGE, three seperate main trunks, it had to be cut piece by piece from a bucket truck starting at the top, what a job.

And of course there was concrete at $84 a yard.. Ouch... So in the end it was good that i didn't spend money on acquiring the tower!!

As for the stuff going on the tower, i have been collecting stuff for it for the last year or so, i was actually planning on putting up a small roof tripod or tower for a few other things before this tower came along. So i have some antenna's, and various other bits, all waiting for it. Just need to start saving some cash for coax and a few other odds and ends and i can start putting it together. It should come together pretty fast in the next month or two.
 
K

kb0nly

Guest
Your Welcome!

I have been enjoying going through the shack and mobile install pictures on here. There is some really good ideas to consider. I'm still contemplating a shack redo. Still thinking of making a big U-Shaped counter in that area i have my desk now and shelves above that. I saw one guy on here that used pre-made countertops like you use in your kitchen with some brackets bolted to the wall.

I was thinking i might do that but also add a couple cheap cabinets to the ends, maybe one with a door and shelves on one end to house the power supply and backup battery that is under the desk now, adding a fan to the side for ventilation of course, and then other end maybe just a cabinet with four drawers to hold all the odds and ends, cords, adapters, etc.

Hoping to make a winter project out of it.
 
K

kb0nly

Guest
Thanks guys!

I will keep you up to date. When i update the website with new pics of the progress i will be sure to post here and let you know.

I'm hoping to get the top section on the tower in a couple of weeks, it all depends on how things go money wise. Looking at selling some extra stuff so i can afford to go buy some coax. Glad to see copper prices are coming down a bit, hasn't affected the coax prices yet but i'm sure it will. When copper jumped up so did the cable prices.

Next weekend i should have a mast for the tower, i have the top section in my basement right now, just got done redrilling the rotor and top plate for the Yaesu G-800S rotor and GS-065 thrust bearing. Unfortunately Rohn and Yaesu don't use similar bolt patterns. The thrust bearing is easy, you need to drill two new holes and slightly widen the end of two of the slots for the other two. A round file and a few passes on each side of the slot takes care of it. For the rotor it takes a complete redo, none of the available holes line up so i had to drill four new ones. Then of course i have to put a couple coats of cold galvanizing paint around the holes to cover the bare metal. But those two items are done and off the checklist.

I have the grounding panel from DXEngineering for the second tower also, same as whats on my first tower, i have all the holes planned out and drilled, lightning arrestor for the coax installed, and i'm ordering the arrestor for the rotor and remote coax switch control lines. Only this time its going to be a homebrew two position remote coax switch, its on the Hints & Tips page of my website if your interested.

One more teaser.... On this tower there will be a live weather cam! I have a wireless camera, going to buy an outdoor enclosure for it, and then it will go on the tower. I want to get it up high enough so it can see over the houses to the West, mainly because the bulk of our severe weather comes from the West due to the Buffalo Ridge. For now the camera is indoors in a second story window, and will be added to the website as soon as i get the video capture card i ordered for the computer that will handle it. I have a computer in the shack that runs 24/7, it handles the APRS digipeater/igate, and sending my weather information to APRS and CWOP.

The only thing here is supplying power to it, the enclosure has a small fan and heater in it that takes 12v and the camera is 9v. I can easily build a small dc-dc converter to put in the enclosure to supply the camera, it takes less than 1amp to power it. The question is this, run 12v out from the shack, the line loss would be pretty bad since we are talking about 100ft from the camera housing to the shack supply, or run AC to the base of the tower and put a small dc power supply out in the grounding enclosure.

Anyone done this type of thing before that can offer some words of advice or wisdom? I have heard about people putting wireless access points on their tower, which is a similar situation of needing power out there. One advantage of running an underground ac line out there and having an outlet would be christmas lighting wouldn't take extension cords anymore!
 
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K

kb0nly

Guest
:eek: Nice! You set it up or have somone do it for you?

I'm blessed with friends that like ham radio as much as i do! We have a good tower guy in the club. I keep my feet on the ground as tower crew.. lol
 

commscanaus

Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2006
Messages
524
Location
Melbourne VK
Your webite is full of great pictures and information- the amount of PL-259's and cable I totally ruined trying to solder them onto cable when I first started out was crazy! Your how-to page is excellent- just took me a while to adopt the same approach.

Very nice install with the towers- especially like the pictures showing the different stages of construction.

Regards, Commscanaus
 
K

kb0nly

Guest
Thanks! Hoping to add some more as time goes by. The PL-259 page really came out of showing new hams how to do them over and over, just thought it might benefit others. That method is part mine and part ARRL Handbook. The meaurements came from an old 80's handbook! I've been doing it that way ever since, about 14 years now, wow time flies!

Funny thing, every year at field day i'm the guy putting PL-259's on the new coax someone brought but didn't put ends on beforehand. I can really crank them out though, guess thats why i always end up doing it!

I remember when i put the first tower up, being a small town here it was like a city wide event, you wouldn't believe the traffic past my house as everyone had to have a look. And for weeks after i would see people walking or driving by stopping to point, and some to even take pictures. When we started putting up the second one it was a cold day and raining, so not too much for lookey loos. But the next day was nicer and everyone had to come by for a look. It will attract attention once we top it out also.
 

W9WSS

Retired LEO
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
977
Location
Westmont, DuPage County, IL USA
Thanks! Hoping to add some more as time goes by. The PL-259 page really came out of showing new hams how to do them over and over, just thought it might benefit others. That method is part mine and part ARRL Handbook. The meaurements came from an old 80's handbook! I've been doing it that way ever since, about 14 years now, wow time flies!

Excellent! Those are the same tools that I purchased a few years ago, and as long as you keep the blades on the cutter sharp, you'll have no problem. Unless you try them on LMR400 - always a challenge!

Funny thing, every year at field day i'm the guy putting PL-259's on the new coax someone brought but didn't put ends on beforehand. I can really crank them out though, guess thats why i always end up doing it!

Yup, you have the right tools, and use a tried-and-true method. Works for me!

I remember when i put the first tower up, being a small town here it was like a city wide event, you wouldn't believe the traffic past my house as everyone had to have a look. And for weeks after i would see people walking or driving by stopping to point, and some to even take pictures. When we started putting up the second one it was a cold day and raining, so not too much for lookey loos. But the next day was nicer and everyone had to come by for a look. It will attract attention once we top it out also.

You're lucky! Around these parts, more people are filing petitions AGAINST hams. Local towns, villages, & counties have ordinances that make putting up a tower a feat of almost unmentionable proportion. The amount of hoop's you have to jump through exhaust the weary. One community near me requires an engineering study accompanying a building permit before you can even THINK about putting up a tower. The expenses are overwhelming! Too bad all hams just couldn't invoke PRB-1 and be done with it.

Oh, and fantastic job on the website. I've bookmarked it, and placed it in my faves. Keep up the great work, OM!
 
K

kb0nly

Guest
I couldn't get that cablematic to do more than two installs before it was shot and needed a new blade again. Any hints as to why?

I just use a good sharp utility knife and have been doing it that way forever.

That crimper they made for crushing the PL-259 is a joke, thats why i had to include my "review" of it. I tried it a couple times and it kept breaking the connector, and of course as explained on the website it can crush the center dielectric.

At least around here you don't need anything for a tower, not even a building permit!!

Thanks for the comments on the website and bookmarking it!
 
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