Anyone reckon the height of this tower?

[TrainsOfThought]

Contemplating research for a tower option for multiple band-specific scanner antennas (directional 6db gain yagi rail band w/rotators X2, omnidirectional air band discone & marine band = 4 antennas) vs individual roof mounts. This pictured older in-use tower in my rural DelMarVa Town has a height clearing medium size yard and horizon trees as well as the highest hill elevations in my Google Earth radio base-to-target path. Possible installation would be right next to the house office/radio room, lowest loss coax...

Anyone care to guess the height of this tower? Concrete base; one attachment point at the rain gutter and no guy lines.

Thanks everyone.

 

[mmckenna]

My money would be on 30'.

Usually, not always, they come in 10 foot sections. See if you can locate the section breaks. Sometimes the top section (tapered) is a bit shorter.

 

[MUTNAV]

Contemplating research for a tower option for multiple band-specific scanner antennas (directional 6db gain yagi rail band w/rotators X2, omnidirectional air band discone & marine band = 4 antennas) vs individual roof mounts. This pictured older in-use tower in my rural DelMarVa Town has a height clearing medium size yard and horizon trees as well as the highest hill elevations in my Google Earth radio base-to-target path. Possible installation would be right next to the house office/radio room, lowest loss coax...

Anyone care to guess the height of this tower? Concrete base; one attachment point at the rain gutter and no guy lines.

Thanks everyone.View attachment 125063

Great Mmckenna beat me to it.

My complete guess is 45 feet or so.... The real way to do it is to see how many sections are connected and guess the size of each section. (ie 4, 10 foot sections or so)...

I wouldn't try and copy this instillation though.... Just because I don't like it (doesn't look strong).

Do we get a prize if we guess right?
Thanks
Joel

 

[Redoak]

I would also guess 30 feet. ~8 feet per story and a bit more to clear the roof.

 

[ka3aaa]

30 to 35 feet depending on how much of the first section is buried in concrete.

 

[MUTNAV]

The other option for the geek in all of us is to use a protractor and move away from it until you are sure that the top of it is at a 45 degree angle to the ground (assuming a level ground), then measure the distance you are away from it, that'll be the height.

Keep the base of the protractor level. You can kind of do it like this (from the new air force survival handbook).

Thanks
Joel

 

[bearcatrp]

40 feet. What do I win?

 

[prcguy]

Its about 30ft. 40ft guess wins nothing.

 

[a417]

The height is right style...31 feet.

 

[MUTNAV]

Trainsofthought has to be the one to post the winner !

(C'mon 45')


Thanks
Joel

 

[MUTNAV]

ok... how about its looked at this way.
1 story is about 10 feet, the building has 3 levels of windows (well 2 and one with a vent (above the nearest door), there is then another level, above that, and the tower is higher than that.

Thanks
Joel

 

[mmckenna]

$12.99

100 ft. x 1/2 in. Open Reel Measuring Tape

Amazing deals on this 100Ft X 1/2In Open Reel Measuring Tape at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[wtp]

muynav had it kind of right with his first post, but,
if you use the 45 degree thing at eye level, you then have to add your eye level to the height.

i would say disconnect it and lay it on the ground, but you want the height, not the length....

 

[popnokick]

There are other questions lurking behind the original question. The OP didn't mention it, but what is the reason the OP wants to know the height? Several possible answers to that:
- Doing potential range calculations for one or more of the antennas
- Figuring out how much coax will be needed when the tower is moved and reinstalled
- Figuring out how big a trailer (or how many loads) will be needed to move it from where it is now to the new location
BTW - Did y'all forget your HS trig? This is a pretty straightforward right triangle problem using the tangent angle and the opposite and adjacent sides of the triangle. You can be any distance you want from the base, but just need to know what the distance is (and you'll get a more accurate tangent measurement if you're a little farther away than, say, 10ft).
Remember "SOHCAHTOA" the Native American tribal leader who invented trig Just kidding, but the SOHCAHTOA thing is a mnemonic to help you use a right triangle to determine unknown lengths / angle. It stands for Sine=Opposite over Hypotenuse, Cosine=Adjacent over Hypotenuse, and Tangent=Opposite over Adjacent. Sorry for the lecture... I forgot they don't teach mathematics in school anymore.

 

[littona]

$12.99

100 ft. x 1/2 in. Open Reel Measuring Tape

Amazing deals on this 100Ft X 1/2In Open Reel Measuring Tape at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Yeah, but do you connect the end of the tape to the bottom or top?

 

[MUTNAV]

There are other questions lurking behind the original question. The OP didn't mention it, but what is the reason the OP wants to know the height? Several possible answers to that:
- Doing potential range calculations for one or more of the antennas
- Figuring out how much coax will be needed when the tower is moved and reinstalled
- Figuring out how big a trailer (or how many loads) will be needed to move it from where it is now to the new location
BTW - Did y'all forget your HS trig? This is a pretty straightforward right triangle problem using the tangent angle and the opposite and adjacent sides of the triangle. You can be any distance you want from the base, but just need to know what the distance is (and you'll get a more accurate tangent measurement if you're a little farther away than, say, 10ft).

With a 45 degree angle, you don't need the trig, but as was mentioned, add your eye height (and adjust for any difference in height that occurs over the distance).

The height might be needed for permitting purposes.

OR, concerned about the FCC or FAA new tower height rules for things over 50 feet, although they don't apply for towers next to your home.

Like I said though, I don't like the installation, doesn't look secure enough and I'd hate to hurt a house for a tower.

Thanks
Joel

 

[MUTNAV]

Um... Trains of thought.... care to make some measurements, we have a matter of pride here to deal with ! ! !

Although thinking about it, he was the one asking US for the help figuring out the tower height

Thanks
Joel

 

[TrainsOfThought]

And the answer is.....four 10 foot sections and appears a slightly shorter top section = 48 (50) feet.

It appears MUTNAV was closest at "45 feet". The prize (per bearcat) is the satisfaction and huge THANKS! of helping out a fellow enthusiast visualize said towers in the field for THEIR property, multiple antenna spacing (see popnokick suggestion), possible in-Town or County permitting (if any...next on my list).

 

[prcguy]

Is that the actual known height of each section or are you guessing? The tower is a lower cost unit and common for TV antenna installs, could be 8ft sections for easier and cheaper shipping. Something like a Rohn 25 would be 10ft sections, but thats a more substantial tower.

And the answer is.....four 10 foot sections and appears a slightly shorter top section = 48 (50) feet.

It appears MUTNAV was closest at "45 feet". The prize (per bearcat) is the satisfaction and huge THANKS! of helping out a fellow enthusiast visualize said towers in the field for THEIR property, multiple antenna spacing (see popnokick suggestion), possible in-Town or County permitting (if any...next on my list). View attachment 125083

 

[TrainsOfThought]

Is that the actual known height of each section or are you guessing? The tower is a lower cost unit and common for TV antenna installs, could be 8ft sections for easier and cheaper shipping. Something like a Rohn 25 would be 10ft sections, but thats a more substantial tower.

There were (25) 24"/2 foot cross sections total...5 per 10' long section and the math added up. I was able to see the joints between the separate 10' sections most of the way...a bit squinty for the last 2. It's an old building and the tower looks like it's been there a while. I agree with you and MUTNAV it appears NOT the most robust tower with only one stabization point to the building half way up...but then it's downtown crowded amongst other multi story buildings and the base is located in an alley vs out in an open field. I can see what you guys are getting at that a 50' tower at my residence at the edge of Town, surrounded by other homes in the development would require a more robust structure and supports...I'm surrounded by cornfields to the east; typical subdivision other directions.