Original article from: Wayne Sarosi 
 Reposted by Rob Dennis,Moderator HAM_TECH,for use of the FIDO HAM_TECH echo.
  THIS POST/SERIES NOT TO BE USED IN ANY CDROM COMPILATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL
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SUBJECT: Towers,part 8
 Trouble Spots:
 Towers can present many problems to the amateur radio operator.
 There are some points to consider when installing a tower that can save you
trouble later.
 Site location is probably the single most important factor for a tower.
 The base must be analyzed completely.
 Soil conditions, ground water level,seepage,etc must be taken into account.
 I mistake I made was placing my tower next to the house.
 In Florida, most homes have an overhang instead  of gutters. The rain ran 
ff
the roof and ate the ground around my tower.
 I discovered that the tower had tilted almost 15 degrees.
 While the earth was still moist,I used my pick-up to straighten the tower 
nd
then tied it off. After the ground dried,I poured in another 500lb of 
oncrete
to enforce the base. It's been standing on it's own now for five years.
 A friend of mine had a beautiful tilt over tower.
 It worked well until the sapplings his wife planted grew up into full trees.
 He did not have to tilt the tower over for nearly five years,but when he had
too,it was a no-go situation. The trees blocked the tower.
 Much to his wife's dismay,the trees were removed.
 Power lines are a hazzard.
 Calculate the worst case event,a tower crashing to the ground,and look at
what it may strike.
 Sometimes the placement of the tower is dictated by surroundings and 
itfalls
can not be avoided. The current tower I am running is a crank-up base 
iltover
tower.
 By itself the tower tilts over nicely,but with an antenna,my neighbors fence
restricts how far it can go.
 Placement of a ground rod in the center of the base foundation,will save a
lot of time and provide a good ground for the tower and antennas.
 A protective locking cage around the base will keep the kids off the tower
and save you from a law suit.
 Drive shafts save much wear and tear on a tower. Do not overload the tower
with more than it can handle,especially if your rotor is located on the top.
 Never climb a crank-up.
 Always use a safety belt when climbing.
-WS
--- GoldED 2.42.G1219
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