Guy wires needed??

[n4jnw]

Ok, so I'm putting up a small tower, and wondering if I'll need guy's or not. I would really prefer to not guy or brace the tower, but if it's needed, I guess I'll have to. I really don't feel like re-stringing the neighbor's barbwire fence if it falls.

The tower is a tubular type "ladder" tower, and will be two sections (20'). My hole is about 2' deep, by 3'x3' square. I couldn't go any deeper due to REALLY hard slaterock. A pickaxe wouldn't even bust it, so I'm as deep as I can go.

The antenna will be an A99 clamped directly to the snout on the top section. I'll also add that the tower is on the end of my house that's usually away from the wind, so the bottom half or so will be somewhat shielded from the wind. I'm just really worried about the wind's leverage on the top section and the A99.

So yeah, freestanding 20' tower and an A99? Or guys?

 

[GnG8d]

I wouldn't put the tower directly in the concrete.


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[Mudfoot]

Sounds like Dill tower sections.

Can you attach some casing pipe with one bracket at least 15' up on the side of your house? Or higher If'in you have a 2 story home???

20 feet with no mast and only an Antron. Wouldn't take much to hold that up. If you fabbed up a base for the bottom section of tower to be bolted to using a 3x3x2' base as an anchor, I believe it would hold all that up without tipping over. Just keep people off of it.

Kentucky gets cold enough to worry about frost zone. I'd keep working on that hole or fab up something different using pipe. Make a tilt over mast.

Just avoid hazards if it were to fail, lol.

Of course, this is what I would do. So, you probably should ignore my suggestions if your totally safety conscious.

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Tilt-Over_Mast

 

[Marconi]

If you're concerned at all, fix the concern and maybe the problem will go away. I also would not bury it in the ground either, old mother Earth has a way of doing away with some metals in such cases. Mount it on an adequately raised concrete slab.

 

[mackmobile43]

Have you considered concrete type anchors into the slate? hammer drill/pound them in and expand then pour your concrete.

 

[Black_Bart]

i seen a short tower that is about 20 feet high and it does not have guy wires, it is free standing and is wide at the bottom for stability, looks sort of like a windmill tower, if i was to spend money on a new tower that is what i would do is either build or buy a "windmill style" tower that would not require guy wires, cement it in the ground so it wont move, but thats just me and since i am a home owner i dont have to worry about moving or no pesky landlord to tell me what i can or can not do

 

[BammBamm]

Let's start by realizing I'm on the south edge of lake Michigan and it gets windy here! My 75' tower is bolted to a slab of concrete that is 6 inches thick and about 20 x 15 where a shed used to be. No guy wires. No problems.

 

[mackmobile43]

Let's start by realizing I'm on the south edge of lake Michigan and it gets windy here! My 75' tower is bolted to a slab of concrete that is 6 inches thick and about 20 x 15 where a shed used to be. No guy wires. No problems.

That slab weighs around 22500 lbs.

1 cubic foot= 150 lbs.

 

[BammBamm]

My fear was that the slab would crack in between the tower mount bolts and the tower would come down but no cracks so far.

 

[n4jnw]

If 1 cubic ft of concrete is 150 lbs.,

My 20' of tower will be sitting in roughly 2,700 lbs of concrete. (3x3x2 = 18 cubic ft)

 

[GnG8d]

I can't imagine 75' of tower with no guys. I have 2 sets of guys on 65' of tower and some of these high wind advisories still get it dancing some. And I'd lay money on the 6" of concrete cracking eventually, I'd keep a close eye on it ..... It would make me nervous.


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[RatsoW8]

Let's start by realizing I'm on the south edge of lake Michigan and it gets windy here! My 75' tower is bolted to a slab of concrete that is 6 inches thick and about 20 x 15 where a shed used to be. No guy wires. No problems.

Is it a free standing tower? 75 of non-guyed Rohn 25 would be a disaster waiting to happen. I was taking a chance with 40' and 35lbs of antenna and rotor on top.

 

[mackmobile43]

If 1 cubic ft of concrete is 150 lbs.,

My 20' of tower will be sitting in roughly 2,700 lbs of concrete. (3x3x2 = 18 cubic ft)

correct and bambam's 6''x15'x20' is roughly 23000 lbs.

 

[GnG8d]

correct and bambam's 6''x15'x20' is roughly 23000 lbs.

Which doesn't matter if it cracks @ 6" deep. It'll peel that section right up out of the 23k# pad. Even if it's re-barred in, it'll get loose.

 

[W5LZ]

I think you would be well advised to make that hole deeper, and reenforce that slab. It will depend a lot on your local weather/wind, but guying that tower is a good idea too. It's always better to 'over-do' than to have to 're-do' later!
- 'Doc