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#3
March 12th 07, 03:38 AM
posted to rec.radio.amateur.antenna
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Tower design
"J. Mc Laughlin" wrote in message .. . Dear Jimmie (no call sign given): Even towers as short, and as relatively simple as what you say you are considering, involve safety of life issues! Very expensive computer programs exist that will analyze a tower, however no professional trusts them until comparing what the program exports with what is calculated using a hand-calculator and fundamental concepts. Textbooks on (mechanical) statics and strength-of-materials would be appropriate places to start. Even a spread sheet can be used to develop computational tools, though a real HP calculator can be a great aid. A good mechanical engineering handbook (Mark's ?) might have the information, but might be more difficult to read. Schaum's Outline series might be better than some textbooks. Of course, you may have this sort of background already. If you stay below 70 feet and have trees/buildings all around, wind loading calculations are relatively simple. (The standard (222G) on calculating serious wind loads cost about $400.) Give the group more of an idea of the "boundary conditions" for your proposal. How wonderful to be able to contemplate having time for such a project in retirement. Regards, Mac N8TT -- J. Mc Laughlin; Michigan U.S.A. Home: "JIMMIE" wrote in message oups.com... I am trying to find information on build your own tower. As retirement nears I plan on having a lot more time for doing things like this and will have a few acres I can devote to an antenna farm. I wouldnt mind learning to design them from scratch but would prefer a computer program if one is available. I know to some building your own tower may not seem practical but my wife and I inherited a lot of the basic materials when her father passed away. I am especialy interested in building tubular foldover mast 50 to 70 ft tall. It seems like years ago I came across a magazine article on this that also had associated design software. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Jimmie Antenna will have to be tall enough to clear the current canopy of oaks that cover the property. Materials I have on had are way more heavy duty than what you see towers normaly built of. such as several sections of galvanised sign post The heavy U shaped stuf with the flange, dont know what you call it but there is probably 300 to 400 ft of this stuff, lots of rebar. I could easily build something similar to a Rohn tower with this. Also have a MIG and Stick welder. There is maybe 2000ft of oil well drilling pipe piled up out there. Wife pretty much mandated that I do something with it or get rid of it. She has her ticket too so she is sympathetic to the cause. Ther is also a neighbor who works on heavy equipment and he has a crane. Wonder what a few steaks and beers will get me. First I would like to get up my VHF/UHF stuff. Nothing elaborate here just some stacked Yagi on 2M and 432 and a 5 elemnt Yagi for 6M. The is also a lot of tublar steel some about 6 inches in daimeter. with inch thick walls, I think he was making TVRO mast out of this stuff at one time. Hopefully once I get the place cleaned up I might start a second career, there is a big 30 x 60 ft shop on the property that should be good for something. Oh, yes I do have a 50ft Rohn tower i was thinking about tempoaraly erecting thi as a scafold to work off of. Just a thought. With the oil well pipe I was planning on making a base from three pieces of it the screw on three pieces and weld bracing on as I go up it then add on three more pieces and keep going up. I figure I should easily build a 65 ft tower this way, maybe more. There are also some really tall southern long leaf pines about 30 years old on the prperty that might be good for something. These are some of the taler trees and I was thinking about stringinging soem 75/80M dipoles of of these. If I had some design info I might could start figuring out how to make the best use of some of this junk and get a head start on the game. Jimmie |
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