[HCARC] Crank Over Rohn Tower

[Gary and Arlene Johnson]

I post on Homesteadingtoday.com and received this post the other day.

"..My tower setup was 70 feet of Rohn 25 G tower , had a 3 element triband beam , HYgain 20-15-10 meters , and a 40 meter single bander made by Cushcraft ! Mast was a 21 foot stick of 1 7/8's galvinized pipe x 1/8 in wall thickness ! 
.................The ENtire setup was A Crankover , I used a 3500 pound , 2 speed hand crank winch with 1/4 inch stainless aircraft cable . I built my own steel "V" shaped brackets with a pulley attached . People told me the tower would break in half because of the load at the very end of the tower . But , I fabed a "Sway brace" made from Standoffs and a steel cable that ran the full length of the tower with a turnbuckle anchored at the base . Once tightened the the load at the end of the tower was transferred down to the base and the tower became a Rigid digit . IT was SO strong I could Hang off the mast when I had it crancked almost all the way down which was about 200 lbs ."

My neighbor wants to get rid of 4 sections of Rohn tower if I can find people to take it down - safely.  I wonder if those 4 sections could be hinged and dropped like he indicates.  It sure would be easier than climbing a tower to change antennas.  I assume his sway brace was a cable that was attached at the top and ran up and over a stand off at about the 20 foot level and then attached at the base so when tightened it stiffened the tower.- maybe one on each side of the triangle.  I asked him to send me a picture or a drawing.

Gary J
N5BAA
HCARC Secretary 2013