HF Tower Installation
Updated
12-Nov-2008
21:22
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Tower Installation (Early Aug 2008)
After waiting for the concrete to cure, the LM470D tower was
moved from its initial parking spot beside the driveway to the base using the little
BobCat that was here for installing an above ground pool base. We rigged some straps and lifted the tower
under the earth moving scoop. Then the
TA-70 tilt-over accessory was dragged by me (yeah I actually did some work to
put up this tower!) over to the concrete base and installed on the
mountings. The winch and tower tilt-up
pulley was installed on the tilt-over accessory and the tower was man-handled
to the hinge bolts using a come along winch and an iron bar. The cables used to telescope the LM470D were
then replaced / renovated.
Tower Installation (Late Oct 2008)
I had originally ordered the replacement cables back in
spring of 2008 along with the bases and tilt-over accessories, but there was some
additional hardware that I wanted to replace in the cable tensioning system of
the tower (springs, long bolt to hold the springs, turnbuckle, and adjustable
anchors) so I ordered them from Tashjian.
After a bit of a delay, all the parts arrived, and the lousy wet late
summer weather subsided so I had a couple of good weekends, one to replace the
telescope / retract cables, and the other to get the tower mounted on the
tilt-over hinges at the top of the tilt-over accessory (thanks to Frank K1MAA,
formerly KB1LKB). I then tensioned the
cables and went for a test ride up to 70 feet and back down (boy that thing is
tall!).
Tower Installation (Early Nov 2008)
Well, I got the tower up and vertical, and now tilted over in antenna maintenance mode with the rotator, mast, and thrust bearing installed.
It’s the day of ARRL SS CW and I know where my antenna is… still on the wood pile awaiting assembly and installation !
Maybe it will be up by ARRL SS Phone, ARRL 10 meter, and ARRL RTTY Roundup.
