Just bought a tower, need advice!

[W4KVW]

interesting....

a beam at that size with no wires. Wow!
Almost wants me to believe 50’ and a ground plane will be ok with no wires... lol

Well she lived down the road from me & the top of her tower at the beam was level with the ground where I live on top of the little ridge where I live & her home was surrounded by lots of trees & I have Zero trees protecting mine.Her beam was an M2 6M5X 6 meter yagi & the vertical was a Diamond Dual Band.Neither of those antennas have much wind load or weight.I would not have climbed it on a bet & my friend is a pretty small guy & it was shaking badly & he did not enjoy it at all & said he would never climb another one like it.He has climbed towers at Radio Stations & they did not bother him so that says a lot to me.

SIX-SHOOTER

 

[BJ radionut]

Looking at the specs: The 6-meter beam has a smaller wind load and weight plus the Diamond antenna added would be very close to the total of the Maco V58 in specs.
6-meter beam: weight/ 10 lbs - 2.2 Sq. ft wind load
Dual Bander(Diamond) Average weight 5 lbs - Wind load 1 sq ft (could be less depending on Model #)
MACO V5/8: 13 lbs - wind load 2.56 sq ft.

So both set-ups are very near Tower specs for the load. When the tower was NEW.
Now add 30+ years usage/rust etc.
Shaky is an understatement!
GL
All the Best
Gary

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

The shaky tower I would put together on the ground. Then build a hinge base and stand it up with the tractor.

 

[BJ radionut]

The shaky tower I would put together on the ground. Then build a hinge base and stand it up with the tractor.

Good idea Chris: Thinking as long as you rigged it with least 2 pull points (midway and near the top). I would use webbed pulling straps, not cables as not to pinch the tower or kink it.
I would be afraid(due to age) it could not support its own weight most certainly with antennas on top!
I would feel better building it with "Cherry Picker" one section at a time, once the base was set in concrete. Then set/attach guys as you build.
I would build on the ground first, check the alignment of bolt patterns for each section making sure it all fits together correctly. Using all NEW stainless steel hardware.
I have seen even NEW tower have "slight" variations in bolt patterns from factory and required reaming for proper alignment.
Then number or mark each section as built, so when the assembly was made you know what sections fit in the correct order. IMHO
All the Best
Gary

 

[Farmer Brown]

Mine is a 64 foot Trylon Titan T-500. 18 inches at the top and 42 inches at the bottom. GREAT tower. NOT cheap. Heavy galvanizing so I will be long dead by the time it rusts. Rated for 52 sq. ft at 70 MPH .

Wow

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Wow

Here is the base section compared to my old 40 foot Delhi tower that supported a three element tribander for 10,15, and 20m as well as a six element 6m beam and an 11 element 2m yagi. The new tower is MUCH stronger than the old one. The old tower was only 21 inches at the base and 9 inches at the top. The new one is 42 at the bottom and 18 inches at the top.

 

[Farmer Brown]

Here is the base section compared to my old 40 foot Delhi tower that supported a three element tribander for 10,15, and 20m as well as a six element 6m beam and an 11 element 2m yagi. The new tower is MUCH stronger than the old one. The old tower was only 21 inches at the base and 9 inches at the top. The new one is 42 at the bottom and 18 inches at the top.

View attachment 31878

Very nice, Mr CK