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Pete C. Pete C. is offline
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Default Antenna tower hinge


Steve B wrote:

"stryped" wrote in message
...
I have an antenna tower in concrete behind my garage that has my local
tv station antenna. It is a big yagi type antenna. It has been there,
both the antenna and tower, for 12 years. I am getting a little older
and dont have any help and to be honest, dont like climbing up it. I
think the tower is 25 feet ot so from it's top to the ground.

Would it be possible to make a hinge for this thing so I could bring
it down to replace the anteena? Can I do it now that it is already
errected, maybe loosening at one of the sections and pulling it off,
installing the made hinge then putting back on? Would I be able to
lift the tower and antenna by myself once it is pulled off to install
the hinge. I appreciate any help.


I have considered similar for raising owl boxes, and raptor perches. My
thoughts come down to three pad eyes, the center one being on the base of
the tower, the other two, set into a concrete base, all three match drilled
through, and secured by a heavy bolt. A pad eye is a D shaped piece of
metal, but can be long, with the hole drilled in the D. You've seen them as
lifting points on machinery. The one on the base of the tower would fit
between the two set in the concrete.

Lifting and lowering would have to be done with a winch or a vehicle, and a
three point guy system would make it steady.

Lowering the antenna in the first place for installation of the hinge part
would be the biggest process.

Raising would consist of leaving the two guy wires in place, and pulling on
the third, but using some sort of helping member to make the pulling cable
pull upward slightly rather than just horizontally. The two permanent guy
wires would hold the antenna safely in place while lowering and raising with
the third detachable one, once you have them to the correct length.

It would be some work at first, but then very easy to raise or lower it.
Align the hinge to bisect the line of the two stationary guy wires, and the
third perpendicular to that on the other side, all the same length. They
could be all the way to the top, or just 2/3 of the height, and be steady.

Take some pictures and share. Perhaps someone who has BTDT can give you
better advice, or another way if you post some pics.

Steve


There are a lot of ways to do it and a lot of types of towers that
dictate the correct way to do it for that tower. Honestly, 25' is an
extremely short tower so climbing it really shouldn't be a concern. Just
buy the correct safety harness and "Y" 100% tie-off lanyard (~$100 or so
total) and get on with it with far less hassle than trying to
re-engineer the tower.