Slight shack update/Tower SCORE........

[tmfok7]

Why does the Discone lack the center whip?

Depending on when he got the discone (I know he said he has used it for 10 yrs.), it may not have come with a center whip! I have one too and it did not come with one. I had to add-lib one for it!

Nice little shack you have there! You gotta love the D-104! Wish someone would re-invent that microphone.... Heil, are you listening!

 

[n8emr]

only issue with the tie wraps is they tend to become brittle in the sunlight and will break without warning. Ok for a temp system but not long term.

The tower is nice, its going to be heavy. It was most likley part of an AM broadcast station.
It looks like about 100ft, 1 section appear bent and then the pivot bottom. I think I would cut off the piviot, use that section for your base section put up as much as you need and use that last bent section as the top. Cut it down and weld a thurshbearing on it.

 

[Dubbin]

You have wayyyyyy too much trust in zip ties...

Good score on the tower though.

 

[digitalanalog]

is that a pivot bearing or a ceramic insulator for am broadcast ( whereas the entire tower was the radiating element? )

I'm not sure what it is,exactly, i figured it to be a bottom pivot bearing, but i could be wrong.
There is a hole in the center, but it does not go all the way through, so i can't see it being
a top bearing. But i really am not sure of it'd purpose.
I do know that particular section of tower is twice as heavy as any of the other section.

Still looking for info, when i find anything i will be sure to pass it along.

 

[digitalanalog]

Flexi-Cuffs make for GOOD zip ties!

Why does the Discone lack the center whip?

The scanner collection is Incredible, the Old scanners sure are nice, Love the 70's look with the Shag Carpet, bet you got some good 70's Soft rock playing through the back round on an Old turntable huh?

I bought the antenna a long time ago at RS, and this is how it was new.
Many dicones do not have the center whip loaded or uploaded.

Soft rock...Nope....Classic Rock.....Yep

 

[digitalanalog]

o.k., looks like this is infact a bottom pivot point.
Reference -> http://www.oldradio.com/archives/stations/ccs/wsmpix.htm

Much larger in size, but same idea.

I will be removing the insulator and use it for the top of the tower.

 

[firetaz834]

I would replace the zip times with metal clamps, those should do you for awhile.

 

[digitalanalog]

O.k., i get the idea.....lol...... but the zip ties are staying until the tower is up.
the antenna's are fine, if i thought they would fall i would change them.
They are not going to fall, If they do, oh well, No big loss at all.

Thanks ounce again for all the comments and concerns.
Thank You....

 

[digitalanalog]

I recently found an old friend from school, and surprisingly to me he works for a Large Cell Tower company as a Cad draftman in the design and engineering section of the Cell Tower company.

He stopped at my house and took a look at the tower sections i had.

I told him i was planning to build a tilt base and raise up 100' of the tower.

His first words was, "Dont Even Try It"

He says, the tower is a free standing type broadcast type tower, and because of it's
size and weight, it would bend way before even reaching 1/2 way point, he suggested
getting a crane is the only way your going to raise 100' foot of this size tower.

Well, i was dissappointed, but He designs tower structures for a living so, i am not going to second guess his word.

Problem is, where i planned on placing the tower, there is noway of getting a crane in.

So looks like my 100' tower is done...............................

So i believe i will put up acouple of 40' towers with 10' mast
and just hope the height will get me over the tree's.

It was very dissappointing to hear, but i am glad i found this out before hand.

 

[SAR923]

Looks to me like you have Blaw-Knox Diamond tower. The "LAPP" shown on the pivoting insulator is from the LAAP Insulator Company. Their web site is at http://www.lappinsulator.com/. This tower undoubtedly came from an AM broadcast station.

 

[jon_k]

Looks to me like you have Blaw-Knox Diamond tower. The "LAPP" shown on the pivoting insulator is from the LAAP Insulator Company. Their web site is at http://www.lappinsulator.com/. This tower undoubtedly came from an AM broadcast station.

Wonder what an AM transmitter / tower was doing in the back yard of an abandoned house.

 

[af5rn]

Wonder what an AM transmitter / tower was doing in the back yard of an abandoned house.

The same thing it is doing in the back yard of digitalanalog's house. Rotting. :lol:

 

[digitalanalog]

It's galvanized,it's not rotting at all.......

 

[n5ims]

My bet is it's an insulated tower base. LAPP is one manufacturer of them. The notches in the plate where the insulator attaches are where the jacks attach to raise the tower for replacement. You can see a similar one near the bottom of this page showing WLS AM's nearly 600' tower.

http://www.fybush.com/sites/2004/site-041015.html

 

[shaft]

You said you can fit a crane to the location of your tower placement, but can you fit one of these back there? http://tinyurl.com/4nwvaw

 

[Mikey54]

After discarding the damaged parts, and inspecting, why not install piece by piece with a gin pole. I have assembled / dis-assembled 80' towers quite easily this way. Standard disclaimer, make ssure you have all of the proper safety gear, or better yet, find a rigger who will do it for you if you have never done a project like this. I think you could probably get about 80 useable feet out of what you have there. Again, as you say, it would have to be inspected first to know for sure.

Mike VE3MKY

 

[digitalanalog]

I will inspect each section and repaint the useable ones then put up maybe 2 small towers instead of one large one.

As far as gin pole goes, there is no way these sections can be raised with ANY standard gin pole, as mentioned,these are made of 2" OD pipe, gin poles are not designed to lift this heavy of tower section these sections are very very heavy, and it's just to unsafe to be lifing these sections in that manner.

Look at it this way.

My tower section weights and measures.
2" OD galvanized pipe
3/16 wall (.1875)
each section 20'
2" OD pipe @ 3/16" wall -> 3.6329 lbs per foot
3.6329 lbs X 60' (3 sections of 20' per section) = 217.974 lbs per tower section (does not include cross bracing or mounting pad's on each end of each section)
So that's approx 218 lbs for 1 20' section of tower.
________________________________________________

In comparison Rohn 25G tower (just used as an example)
1 1/4" OD pipe
14 gauge wall (.0747)
each section 10'
1 1/4" OD pipe @ .0747" wall -> .9385 lbs per foot
.9385 lbs X 30' (3 sections of 10' per section) = 28.155 lbs per tower section (does not include cross bracing)
So that's approx 28 lbs for 1 10' section of tower.

So, in closing
approx, 1 section of my tower weight's the same as 70' of Rohn 25G.

This tower will not go to waste, when time and money allows it, it will be raised but not as one tower, but in 2.

This is why a Gin pole will never work..............

 

[burner50]

That looks more like an insulator or rotator than a pivot base. I believe what you think is the bottom is actually the top.

I Agree... That is an Insulator... LAPP Insulator IMO

 

[digitalanalog]

I Agree... That is an Insulator... LAPP Insulator IMO

The insulator on an AM broadcast tower is The BOTTOM not the top, and yes it's a LAPP, it clearly shows that in the pic.

 

[digitalanalog]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. That looks more like an insulator or rotator than a pivot base. I believe what you think is the bottom is actually the top.

Nope...................The insulator is the Bottom, NOT The Top..............