First Tower, DIY install, Question..Do's and Dont's

[osros]

If you think about it, all the weight of the tower is resting on the concrete base but its not really that much. Any side to side forces on the tower will be somewhat split between the house bracket and the base and the farther apart they are minimizes the leverage on them. You just need the base to keep the bottom of the tower from moving sideways or sinking. Its not the same as a free standing tower where the concrete base is holding the entire tower up.

My guess is a 2 X 2 X 1ft deep base is overkill for your size tower but If Rohn has a recommended size concrete base, by all means use that. You can also assemble the bolts on the tower base (preferably J bolts), stick that in the wet concrete and let the whole thing cure.

If this were a free standing tower then you would use mfrs drawings or have it engineered for your soil type and not take suggestions from a forum!
prcguy

Yes I think we are in the same page on the base, that looks like the way I will go when the time comes. Agreed, I would not think on doing this on a bigger scale/project anything larger and with heavy antennas I will leave up to more experience folks and pro installers, but I feel I can handle this for a first timer and the experience will go a long way. On your pipe suggestion that sounds really good. Driving the steel pipe in the ground maybe 3 feet have it stick into the cement maybe 6" or more in the center of the block is what Im thinking.

I like the idea of sticking the base in the wet cement as well, just need to thick on the wood supports to keep it straight, even, level etc as it cures, but yeah can do that.

I may just order the hinged base and J bolts now and start working on the wood to hold cement in place and how to keep it all centered and level.


Thanks

 

[jim202]

Let me add some comments here that I don't think have been passed along yet.

The hinged plate will pivot on 2 legs and leave the 3rd leg free. In this case the 3rd leg would need to point to your barn. That way when you try to raise or lower the tower it will use the hinge and provide a slight control of the tower.

Having tried to raise a tower in this fashion before with several other people, you will run into the problem of not having enough strength once the top of the tower gets about 6 feet off the ground. You can use a step ladder to rest the tower on, but your probably not going to have enough strength to get it much higher. Each section weighs 40 pounds.

A better solution would be to mount a heavy duty pulley on the barn as high as you can get it to use as the point that you can run a cable from the point on the tower that will be as high as your pulley. Then use a hand crank winch or motor driven winch to raise the tower. It would be a good idea to have 2 other people on tag lines to keep the tower from moving off of the direct line that it needs to be raised in. In other words to keep it from swinging to one side or the other.

The concrete base you put under this tower will depend a good deal on the type of soil you have. If it's hard, you need a smaller base. if it's sand, you will need a larger base. Just remember the base needs to weigh more than the tower. This is especially important if your planning on using a tilt base. You don't want the base of the tower lifting out of the ground as your trying to raise it.

Use of a house bracket as high as you can mount it is a great help. Not only does it provide support for the tower once it is in the vertical position, it provides for some side to side support for the tower. Depending on what you put on the top of the tower for antennas, where you live and what the winds are for the normal storm, the house bracket may or may not be enough. You still might have to guy the tower.

Consideration of a pushup mast is not in my normal consideration. It requires guys, requires several people to hold the guys as you raise the mast and you need a BIG football player lifting the mast to the height you decide to go to. Normally you would stand up the mast with all the sections lowered inside each other. Set the bottom guy wires and tension them up. Then you can load the antennas on. Next is the task of raising the mast. Don't forget that you need to stand at least as high as the section where the clamps are so your at waist high to that point.

Don't forget that it will probably take two people at the mast. one to raise it and one to clamp it when you pull it up. I have tired to do it alone and find it almost impossible to both do the raising and try to clamp the mast at the same time. Your hand seems to loose it's grip on the mast some just before you get the clamp tight and the mast seems to slide down some.

Just some comments from a person that has been there and done it before.

 

[prcguy]

Any suggestions I have given are for assembling the tower sections to the base while vertical and not using the tilt up feature except for maybe the first section. Using the tilt up for the entire length of tower with antennas on top would increase the needed size of the concrete base.

One strong person can climb and assemble the R25 tower sections while vertical if they feel safe doing so.
prcguy

Let me add some comments here that I don't think have been passed along yet.

The hinged plate will pivot on 2 legs and leave the 3rd leg free. In this case the 3rd leg would need to point to your barn. That way when you try to raise or lower the tower it will use the hinge and provide a slight control of the tower.

Having tried to raise a tower in this fashion before with several other people, you will run into the problem of not having enough strength once the top of the tower gets about 6 feet off the ground. You can use a step ladder to rest the tower on, but your probably not going to have enough strength to get it much higher. Each section weighs 40 pounds.

A better solution would be to mount a heavy duty pulley on the barn as high as you can get it to use as the point that you can run a cable from the point on the tower that will be as high as your pulley. Then use a hand crank winch or motor driven winch to raise the tower. It would be a good idea to have 2 other people on tag lines to keep the tower from moving off of the direct line that it needs to be raised in. In other words to keep it from swinging to one side or the other.

The concrete base you put under this tower will depend a good deal on the type of soil you have. If it's hard, you need a smaller base. if it's sand, you will need a larger base. Just remember the base needs to weigh more than the tower. This is especially important if your planning on using a tilt base. You don't want the base of the tower lifting out of the ground as your trying to raise it.

Use of a house bracket as high as you can mount it is a great help. Not only does it provide support for the tower once it is in the vertical position, it provides for some side to side support for the tower. Depending on what you put on the top of the tower for antennas, where you live and what the winds are for the normal storm, the house bracket may or may not be enough. You still might have to guy the tower.

Consideration of a pushup mast is not in my normal consideration. It requires guys, requires several people to hold the guys as you raise the mast and you need a BIG football player lifting the mast to the height you decide to go to. Normally you would stand up the mast with all the sections lowered inside each other. Set the bottom guy wires and tension them up. Then you can load the antennas on. Next is the task of raising the mast. Don't forget that you need to stand at least as high as the section where the clamps are so your at waist high to that point.

Don't forget that it will probably take two people at the mast. one to raise it and one to clamp it when you pull it up. I have tired to do it alone and find it almost impossible to both do the raising and try to clamp the mast at the same time. Your hand seems to loose it's grip on the mast some just before you get the clamp tight and the mast seems to slide down some.

Just some comments from a person that has been there and done it before.

 

[osros]

Let me add some comments here that I don't think have been passed along yet.

The hinged plate will pivot on 2 legs and leave the 3rd leg free. In this case the 3rd leg would need to point to your barn. That way when you try to raise or lower the tower it will use the hinge and provide a slight control of the tower.

Having tried to raise a tower in this fashion before with several other people, you will run into the problem of not having enough strength once the top of the tower gets about 6 feet off the ground. You can use a step ladder to rest the tower on, but your probably not going to have enough strength to get it much higher. Each section weighs 40 pounds.

A better solution would be to mount a heavy duty pulley on the barn as high as you can get it to use as the point that you can run a cable from the point on the tower that will be as high as your pulley. Then use a hand crank winch or motor driven winch to raise the tower. It would be a good idea to have 2 other people on tag lines to keep the tower from moving off of the direct line that it needs to be raised in. In other words to keep it from swinging to one side or the other.

The concrete base you put under this tower will depend a good deal on the type of soil you have. If it's hard, you need a smaller base. if it's sand, you will need a larger base. Just remember the base needs to weigh more than the tower. This is especially important if your planning on using a tilt base. You don't want the base of the tower lifting out of the ground as your trying to raise it.

Use of a house bracket as high as you can mount it is a great help. Not only does it provide support for the tower once it is in the vertical position, it provides for some side to side support for the tower. Depending on what you put on the top of the tower for antennas, where you live and what the winds are for the normal storm, the house bracket may or may not be enough. You still might have to guy the tower.

Consideration of a pushup mast is not in my normal consideration. It requires guys, requires several people to hold the guys as you raise the mast and you need a BIG football player lifting the mast to the height you decide to go to. Normally you would stand up the mast with all the sections lowered inside each other. Set the bottom guy wires and tension them up. Then you can load the antennas on. Next is the task of raising the mast. Don't forget that you need to stand at least as high as the section where the clamps are so your at waist high to that point.

Don't forget that it will probably take two people at the mast. one to raise it and one to clamp it when you pull it up. I have tired to do it alone and find it almost impossible to both do the raising and try to clamp the mast at the same time. Your hand seems to loose it's grip on the mast some just before you get the clamp tight and the mast seems to slide down some.

Just some comments from a person that has been there and done it before.

Thanks yes will consider them all. I was thinking of using my Jeep wench and the barn or post to do the tower raising. I'm not sure I have enough room to work on antennas and such when the tower is down to point the 3rd hinge directly to the barn, it would have to be at a angle or parallel to the barn wall then I have lots of room to play with.

On the mast thinking on it, but was thinking telescopic so as long as the bottom mast is secured I just need a person at top height of bottom mast to install antennas, raise lock, raise lock, and then guy lines. If I'm missing a process or something let me know.

Thanks

 

[osros]

Any suggestions I have given are for assembling the tower sections to the base while vertical and not using the tilt up feature except for maybe the first section. Using the tilt up for the entire length of tower with antennas on top would increase the needed size of the concrete base.

One strong person can climb and assemble the R25 tower sections while vertical if they feel safe doing so.
prcguy

A hinge base was always the plan, I see no other option for me right now, not interested in climbing. Is there a workeheet formula I need to go over before I consider the tower base hinged setup for size and cement?. Keep in mind at first antennas 2 or 3 Scanner/SWL simple lightweight stuff maybe later on when I'm HAM may upgrade but not sure if I will be doing heavy, rotor, directional stuff. May still keep it simple omni and do what I can do.

In the end if my needs outgrow the tower/mast setup I have I will certainly redo the tower to meet those needs. I will know alot more by then.

 

[osros]

Ok guys here is a link to other thread with pics of WIP shack and can see the barn and land around it.

http://forums.radioreference.com/pi...ild-early-pics-new-shack-wip.html#post2294604

Thanks!

 

[chief52ptfd]

Double post....Sorry

 

[chief52ptfd]

Might I suggest a Crank up / Tilt Over tower. I have and E-Z Way (no longer in business) RBS-40. It has 2 winches, one for rasing and lowering the mast, and the other for tilting over. It also has no guy wires. Works great for everything I want to put on it.

Try watching the ham forums / for sales. You might be able to score one at a good price. Just make sure it isn't bent, and that all the cabling is good.

John