[WIham] Fellow ham needs help with a tower

[Gary K9GS]

Run..don't walk, away from this.  This tower is potentially a disaster 
waiting to happen.

Removing a tower, particularly one you know nothing about, is one of the 
most dangerous things a ham can do.  In this particular case:

1)  Rohn 45 is really not meant to be installed free-standing like this 
one is.  Climbing this tower to take it apart is extremely unsafe 
without properly installed guy wires.  Because it was not installed 
properly to begin with, who knows what design specifications were 
exceeded over the years it was up.  I wouldn't want to be 40 feet off 
the ground on this thing only to find cracked welds or badly rusted (or 
missing!) bolts.

2)  If someone were willing to make this mistake I wonder what the base 
consists of and if it was installed properly.

3)  If I had to guess, there is inadequate drainage provided for the 
section buried in the concrete.  Likely all three legs are rusted 
through at the base.

4)  Located so close to the house I wouldn't want to assume the 
liability of damaging the house.

5)  The idiot that installed the "ground wires" had no idea what he was 
doing.

6) I'm sure there was never any proper maintenance performed.

The ONLY safe way to take this down is to hire a crane and lift it off 
of the base.  By the time you pay for that and the damage to the 
property you might as well buy new or good used Rohn 45 sections. It 
would be MUCH cheaper.

Just because it's free doesn't make it a good deal.  If you don't 
believe me talk to a professional tower installer and see what they 
say.  Or subscribe to the Towertalk reflector and ask there.

http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk

Your life and the life of your friends are too precious to risk.


On 5/8/2014 6:37 PM, Jim wrote:
>
>
> Hello fellow hams,
>        
> I am posting this request on behalf of an old friend from high school, whom
> just about a month ago got his tech ticket. He was as I understand, given a
> 60 foot tower that is in Whitehall Wisconsin. My buddy Chad KD9AXO, now has
> no place to put it and I guess is either trying to sell it or worst case
> once it's down scrapping it. I would hate to see a great ham tower like this
> find its way to the scrap yard but my buddy may have no other choice.  In
> short he needs help getting it down safely. Is there any hams in the area
> that would be willing to help him get it down or maybe take it off his
> hands? I just talked to him on the phone, He says he has until June to get
> it down. Here is a link to the you tube video he posted on his channel about
> the tower:
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J_xRuZjAhc
>
> I am willing to travel there and help him get this done, I can't do this by
> myself it's a way bigger job then just two hams can do. So I guess I am
> asking you to help me help him. I don't have his direct e mail as most of
> the time I just call him and I never asked if it was Ok to post his cell
> number. If I contact him it either on the air by cell or threw the message
> link on yes facebook. That said here is the link to his facebook page.
>
> https://www.facebook.com/?sk=nf
>
> If for whatever reason you don't do facebook, no worries contact me
> kc9pxz at gmail.com and I will pass the info allot to Chad and help you get in
> contact with him.
>
>
> Thanks for your time,
> 73
> KC9PXZ
> Jimmy
>
>
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-- 


73,

Gary K9GS

Greater Milwaukee DX Association: http://www.gmdxa.org
Society of Midwest Contesters: http://www.w9smc.com
CW Ops #1032   http://www.cwops.org

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