PDL2 (Y-Quad) Tower base installation

[n7lrg]

I'm making headway getting the tower base installed.
Created new legs. Had to lube them with dish soap and pound them in. It was tight.

Base assembled, rebar tied....I will be adding more iron as well 5" grid fence to add strength. I'm also going to square the sides of the hole so the blocks on top stand straight. It was late and I was worn out. I hope to pour today. I have 660lbs of mix. Hope it's enough.

 

[prcguy]

Those black insulators are from a Hy-Gain Hy-Tower antenna are being used upside down. The Hy-Tower is a very specific antenna where its insulated from ground and I cant think of any reason to use them as pictured. They Hy-Tower is a fairly lightweight antenna and those insulators will greatly reduce any strength the tower might have, not to mention what looks like lightweight radio shack TV antenna masts cut down for the concrete side. The original Hy-Tower legs easily fit inside the insulators and if you had to pound the mast pieces in there is a chance you weakened the plastic, which is brittle and can crack easily. That will be one tower you never want to climb.

 

[alcahuete]

Yeah....to add to what prcguy said...you're using that for a tower base? Not at all safe. Doesn't look nearly deep enough either.

 

[n7lrg]

Thanks, the legs that were in there were pretty tight. I did think of those insulators being a weak spot. the tower will be guyed. I'll note to give you credit when it comes down and include pics. I'll continue posting the project so I can document what not to do.

 

[prcguy]

What make/model is the tower and what's the height?

Thanks, the legs that were in there were pretty tight. I did think of those insulators being a weak spot. the tower will be guyed. I'll note to give you credit when it comes down and include pics. I'll continue posting the project so I can document what not to do.

 

[n7lrg]

What make/model is the tower and what's the height?

You know, I've looked on the internet and haven't found it! It's a 3 piece that gets smaller at the top of each section to mate with the next section. Here's a pic of the top piece. Let me know what it is. I got it all for $200. I think overall height is 30'.

 

[prcguy]

What you appear to have is the bottom section of a Hy-Gain Hy-Tower antenna which is a Rohn BX-24 tower with special insulated tilt over mount. That is a very light duty tower but if put up guyed without the plastic insulators it should hold up a PDL-2 quad for at least a few weeks before failing.

If your still going to use it ditch everything you have done at the base so far. Then find a size of thick wall steel pipe where the diameter is compatible with the tower legs sitting over the pipe maybe in the 1 1/2" to 2" dia range. There should be a galvanized water pipe of adequate size or go for a steel pipe with at least 1/8" thick wall. Then cut three lengths of that pipe long enough to sit in the hole and stick up maybe a foot above grade then drill to match the holes in the tower legs.

I would weld some of the rebar to the pipe in the hole or at least drill some holes through the pipe and stick some 1/4" dia long bolts through it so that will be imbedded down in the concrete and anchor the pipes better in the concrete. Then bolt the pipes to the tower legs and stick the bottom tower section with new steel pipe legs in the hole and hold it perfectly plumb with temporary guy ropes and pour your concrete.

To be honest I've climbed a few Hy-Towers and the actual 24ft tower on a real mount is ok to climb, but not on those plastic insulators. A local friend was using the 24ft tower section from one attached to a 6ft cinder block wall with big C clamps as a TV antenna mast. I was able to wrestle the entire tower down by myself and its not that heavy.

I think $200 was way too much for what you have unless you have the entire Hy-Tower that can be put back together and put on the air as an 80-10m vertical. That's worth at least $400 to a ham that needs one. Otherwise you should be able to get 30 or 40ft of Rohn 25 used for maybe $75 per 10ft section and that is a much better tower for what your doing.

 

[Kfred]

when I decided to put my 35 foot guyed tower up i googled a tower manufacture's website. (rohn?) they had specific information on construction of the concrete base. I chose to make the base 4 feet deep and 3 feet by 3 feet wide, with heavy rebar and angle iron connected together. I don't think any part of the steel is supposed to come in contact with the soil because of issues with rust. kfred

 

[prcguy]

That size concrete base sounds adequate for a free standing 35ft tower in compacted soil. Rebar and other steel items in the foundation are usually supported on small concrete spacers to keep them off the soil so the wet concrete can flow beneath and encapsulate it.

when I decided to put my 35 foot guyed tower up i googled a tower manufacture's website. (rohn?) they had specific information on construction of the concrete base. I chose to make the base 4 feet deep and 3 feet by 3 feet wide, with heavy rebar and angle iron connected together. I don't think any part of the steel is supposed to come in contact with the soil because of issues with rust. kfred

 

[Cameron314]

I'm making headway getting the tower base installed.
Created new legs. Had to lube them with dish soap and pound them in. It was tight.
View attachment 109053
Base assembled, rebar tied....I will be adding more iron as well 5" grid fence to add strength. I'm also going to square the sides of the hole so the blocks on top stand straight. It was late and I was worn out. I hope to pour today. I have 660lbs of mix. Hope it's enough.
View attachment 109054

WTF?

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I would rethink the mechanical aspects of this before pouring concrete.....

 

[prcguy]

Yes, I really hope the OP has not poured concrete over the original setup. There are simple and cheap ways to make an acceptable base in concrete for that Rohn BX-24 but the end result will still be a light duty tower with no easy way to mount a mast on top since there was some custom hardware that held the center whip of the original Hy-Tower antenna and I don't think those parts are heavy enough to hold up a rotor and PDL-II.

I still think the OP would be better off selling it to someone needing Hy-Tower parts then buy an actual tower like Rohn 25 or a good 30ft crank up or similar.

I would rethink the mechanical aspects of this before pouring concrete.....