Tips For Erecting Towers

Many hams put up towers and attach them to their house. They do a quick, down and dirty job consisting of digging a hole two to three feet deep, put the tower together, get some help and erect it. They put one or two guys on their roof, and where the hole is to guide the base in the hole while two of three guys lift the top while the two guys on the roof pull the ropes.

Hopefully everything goes right, the tower drops in the hole, they fill the hole with dirt, anchor the tower to the side of the house, and break out a case of cold beer.

Now, there is a right way and a wrong way to do everything. We've seen the wrong way, now for the right way:

You should first contact the tower manufacturer and find out how big a pad is needed to properly support your tower. Tell them the model of the tower and whether it will be guyed or free standing.

Your base will be a concrete slab anywhere from 3' x 3' x 3' to 6' x 6' x 6' depending on the tower and method of supporting it. The hole should have straight, undisturbed sides and taper out at the bottom.

Now here is where the types of mounts vary.

Flat Bolt Down Type

Next, drive 3 10' ground rods in the hole, put ground clamps on them and run the wires to the top of the hole. These will be attached to the anchor bolts that will be installed later.

Now, install rebar horizontally and vertically to form a reinforcement for the concrete. Be sure to attach the horizontal rods to the vertical rods securely by either wielding or using rebar wire.

NOTE: This is critical and rebar is relatively cheap. Don't skimp on it.

Once the rebar is in place, make a 2x4 form at the top of the hole for the slab. Secure it to stakes with screws. It is critical that the form is level in all directions. If it is not, you will have "The Leaning Tower of YourCallsign."

Now for the FUN part. You will be using J bolts to mount the base to the concrete. These bolts stick down in the concrete about a foot then the concrete is poured around them. They MUST align perfectly with the base and stay that way while the concrete its being poured. I suggest putting them in the base then threading the nuts on the J bolts about 1/2" from the top. After you do that put the plate in the center of the hole and suspend it with strips of 1/2" plywood screwed to your already leveled form. Be sure that some of the threads are below the form. If not, loosen the nuts on the plate till they are.

Next connect the ground wires one to each J bolt using ground clamps. Be sure the ground wires are secure as you can never access then again. Also a coat of Penetrox is recommended before you attach them as you are using two dissimilar metals.

Now for the concrete. Start the pour and keep pushing a rod or board in it as you pour. this will assure that you don't get air pockets in the slab. Air pockets will cause the slab to be weak. Screed the slab level with the form and be sure it is level. You will want to use a float when the concrete begins to set up to smooth it. Be careful not to make it uneven. Remember The Leaning Tower.

Short Length of Tower Base

Drive 3 10' ground rods in the hole, put ground clamps on them and run the wires to the top of the hole. These will be attached to the tower that will be installed later.

Make a 2x4 form at the top of the hole for the slab. Secure it to stakes with screws. It is critical that the form is level in all directions. If it is not, you will have "The Leaning Tower of YourCallsign."

Now, support the base section to the form making sure that it is perfectly plumb.

Install rebar horizontally and vertically to form a reinforcement for the concrete and inter weave the rebar with the base section. Be sure to attach the horizontal rods to the vertical rods securely by either wielding or using rebar wire.

NOTE: This is critical and rebar is relatively cheap. Don't skimp on it.

Next connect the ground wires one to each leg of the mount using ground clamps. Be sure the ground wires are secure as you can never access then again. Also a coat of Penetrox is recommended before you attach them as you are using two dissimilar metals.

Now for the concrete. Start the pour and keep pushing a rod or board in it as you pour. this will assure that you don't get air pockets in the slab. Air pockets will cause the slab to be weak. Screed the slab level with the form and be sure it is level. You will want to use a float when the concrete begins to set up to smooth it. Be careful not to disturb the base so as to make it uneven. Remember The Leaning Tower.

Long Length of Tower Base or Regular Section

Drive 3 10' ground rods in the hole, put ground clamps on them and run the wires to the top of the hole. These will be attached to the tower that will be installed later.

Make a 2x4 form at the top of the hole for the slab. Secure it to stakes with screws. It is critical that the form is level in all directions. If it is not, you will have "The Leaning Tower of YourCallsign."

Now, place the base section in the bottom of the hole and support it to the form making sure that it is perfectaly plumb. Next connect the ground wires one to each leg of the mount using ground clamps. Be sure the ground wires are secure as you can never access then again. Also a coat of Penetrox is recommended before you attach them as you are using two dissimilar metals.

Install rebar horizontally and vertically to form a reinforcement for the concrete and inter weave the rebar with the base section. Be sure to attach the horizontal rods to the vertical rods securely by either wielding or using rebar wire.

NOTE: This is critical and rebar is relatively cheap. Don't skimp on it.

Now for the concrete. Start the pour and keep pushing a rod or board in it as you pour. this will assure that you don't get air pockets in the slab. Air pockets will cause the slab to be weak. Screed the slab level with the form and be sure it is level. You will want to use a float when the concrete begins to set up to smooth it. Be careful not to disturb the base so as to make it uneven. Remember The Leaning Tower.

Let the concrete cure for 2 or three weeks or more. Concrete will cure on the surface over night but it takes 2 or 3 weeks to cure the whole slab. Be patient. That slab is all that is between your tower and disaster.

Final Assembly

Once the slab is cured, you can remove the form and bolt the anchor plate securely to the slab.

Erecting the tower depends on the type of tower you have. A telescoping tilt tower will have its own directions with it. If you have a regular tower, mount the first section then put bonding straps on all three legs. Do this by putting a ground clamp above and below each joint, then placing a ground wire securely between them.

Next get a Gin Pole and a Climbing Belt. go to the top of the first section and secure the gin pole then have your ground crew send up the second section. Repeat the bonding and repeat all steps until the top section is up. Using the gin pole, get the rotor up and attached if you are going to use a beam. As you go up the tower, you should attach guy wires as needed. This should be done without a gin pole attached to the tower and no one on the tower. Be sure they are taught and that you use turn buckets so you can tweak them later.

Now  for the antenna. Be sure to first check the cable with an antenna analyzer to be sure it is good. Never trust a cable right out of the box.

Securely attach the cable to the antenna, then try to turn the connector. Many tines people don't do this only to find the connector was not fully seated. Temporarily mount the antenna about 5' off the ground and test with an antenna analyzer. Now is the time to find out if there is a problem, not when it is 40 or 50 feet in the air!

If all is good, thoroughly seal the connector and the cable with Co-ax Seal, and cover that with a layer of Coax Wrap CW-10, then return to the top of the tower and have the ground crew send the antenna up to you.

Note: Waterproofing the connectors with Co-ax Seal, and Coax Wrap CW-10 is important to prevent moisture from getting into the connections.

Finish mounting the antenna and send the gin pole down. Come back down from the tower and treat your ground crew to a cold one.

32' Field Day Mast

Here is a 32 foot Field Day mast that is easy to build.
Bill of Materials:
2 - 2x4x10
4 - 2x4x12
13 - 3/8 16 x 4" bolts
13 - 3/8 16 Nuts
26 - 3/8 Flat washers
13 - 3/8 Lock Washers
3 - 1/4 20 x 4" Eyebolts
3 - 1/4 20 Nuts
3 - 1/4" flat washers
3 - 1/4" Lock Washers
2 - Wood Screws
1 - Pulley for haul line
1 - Haul Line 64' long
1 - 2-1/2" Rope Cleat

Using 3 - 3/8 bolts, bolt a 10' 2x4 to a 12' 2x4 keeping one end even. This makes a 4x4. Label this assembly A-1
Place another 12' 2x4 on the part of the 4x4 that has 2' of 2x4 overhanging and fasten with 2 - 3/8 bolts. Label this section B-1
Place another 12' 2x4 on the previous 2x4 and fasten with 3 - 3x8 bolts.
Place the last 12' 2x4 on the B1 section and fasten it with 2 - 3/8 bolts. Label this section C-1.
Place the remaining 10' 2x4 on the C-1 section and secure it with 3 - 3/8 bolts.
Mount the 3 eye bolts on the top of the C-3 section. Two eyes on one side and 1 on the other.
Mount the pulley on one of the 2 eyebolts that are on the same side and thread the haul line through it.
Tie a length of guy rope (about 50') to the other eyebolt
Tie 2 more gut ropes to the eye bolt that is on the side by itself.
Tie the ends of the haul kine together leaving 1 end 2 feet longer than the other.
Mount the rope cleat 6 feet from the other end of the mast and secure the haul line to it.
Dig a hole 2 feet deep and have some friends help you erect the mast (a shovel in the hole and a foot on the mast helps.)
Tke mast is guyed witn stakes to the guy ropes.
The sections are numbered A-1, B-1, and C-1. Additional masts would be A-2, B-2, C-2 and A-3, B-3, C-3. The numbering is so
you can take mast apart and use it again next year.

Happy DXing.