[HCARC] Guy Wire Anchors

[Gary and Arlene Johnson]

Well, the wind last week convinced me that I better get really serious about putting in Guy Wire anchors to ensure that my tower remains standing once I get it up.  My tower is a 3 section crank up tilting tower that fully extended goes up to approx 56 feet.  I have a 4th section for it that would take me up to approx 72-74 feet, but would rather use that 20 foot section with another two sections of Rohn 25 and some welding to make a second crank up tower of about 38 feet.  This second tower would serve as an attachment point for dipoles and an inverted L.  I don't anticipate trying to put a rotor on this much smaller tower section.

To the meat of the question - what kind of guy wire anchors are recommended for use in this hard rocky ground??  I don't see any way of putting in an anchor that twists into the ground, however I have thought about using those style anchors and placing them in some short 18 - 24 inch deep trenches that I could dig perpendicular to the tower base when I have the ditching machine here next weekend.I figure to be able to make a T shaped hole with the leg of the T facing the tower base and backfilling the hole with concrete so the anchor would be in the concrete down in the T and aimed at the correct angle for the tower guy height.  I have also seen the anchors that you screw to expand them out after you have bored a proper sized hole in the ground.  I have my BIG rotary rock drill and have bits of 3/4 inch, 1 1/2 inches, and 1 5/8ths inch, with a 2 inch bit available.  The anchors I have seen ask for either a 1 7/8ths or 2 inch diameter hole drilled at the proper angle.  BTW, if anyone is contemplating putting in a fence and needs to put in T posts, the 1 5/8 inch drill will bore holes 2 feet deep and will allow you to put the posts where you want vs where the ground allows you to.  The drill and bit is available for the asking.  I have the 1 1/2 inch bit because it is 42 inches long, allowing me to dig to rock and then bore holes 40 or so inches deeper yet, which hopefully is through the hard rock and into caliche thus allowing for better placement of the ground rod.  I was going to drive the rod and then backfill the 1 1/2 inch hole with copper sulfate.  That and some water occasionally should make for an adequate ground.

Any other thoughts??

Gary J
N5BAA
HCARC Secretary 2013