[WIham] Soliciting your thoughts on my tower problem

Mon, 28 Oct 2002 00:09:34 -0600

Rick

Contact Paul Bitnner in Eau Claire W0AIH/  Big time tower and DX man with
loads of experience.  He may have some ideas for you/  His phone is
715-877-2080.

Bill

Father Bill Jablonske
15419W Victory Heights Circle
Stone Lake, WI  54876-3059
715-865-6154
[email protected]
Amateur Radio W9NNS

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-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On
Behalf Of Rick Kissell
Sent: Sunday, October 27, 2002 9:50 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [WIham] Soliciting your thoughts on my tower problem

Dear fellow ham:

Ive got a problem, and Id like your advice. Please understand that I
understand that offering advice does not commit you to do anything else.
I simply want to pick your brain, as I dont have a lot of experience
with towers and rotors.

I have a Rohn HDBX-48 tower. Technical details on that kind of tower can
be found at:
http://www.rohnnet.com/CommPro/Towers/BX/BX%20Allowable%20Antenna%20Loads.HT
M
I believe Rohn recently stopped manufacturing this model.

Mounted inside a shelf on the topmost section is a Tailtwister.

Extending up from the Tailtwister (without a thrust bearing) is an
aircraft-grade aluminum mast 6 feet tall. Attached to that mast is a
Sommer Antennas XP-508 log-periodic antenna covering, at least in
theory, all amateur bands from 40 through 6 meters.
More information on that antenna is here:
http://www.sommerantennas.com/xp504.html
While at the Sommer Web site, you might want to take a look at their
model XP-708
http://www.sommerantennas.com/xp704.html and their largest model, the XP-808
http://www.sommerantennas.com/xp804.html both of which I own but neither
of which Ive ever assembled and put into use.

A few years ago, my Tailtwister stopped working. I have swapped out both
the control box and the rotor control cable, but neither move fixed the
problem.

What would you do in these circumstances? One option Ive been thinking
about is buying another top section of the HDBX-48 and a Prosistel model
PST61 rotor (see http://arraysolutions.com/Products/prosistel.htm ) for
details. I understand that the Prosistel will not fit the HDBX without
some modification to the tower. Do you know any local machine shop that
could do that work? Then, I suppose, use a crane to (a) remove the
antenna from the top of the tower, then (b) remove the topmost section
of the tower with the nonfunctioning Tailtwister, (c) install the new
top section containing the Prosistel, and (d) re-install the beam. Your
thoughts?

Thanks for your time and 73 DE WB9GYT
[email protected]

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