Images from the current tower project at W5SXD in Mineral Wells, Texas
This is all about the installation of a 52 foot heavy duty all aluminum tower from Heights Tower in Florida.
Their wares can be seen at http://heightstowers.com .
The tower is self supporting and will fold over at the four foot level. It is planned to hold single band M2 yagis for all the ham bands from six meters through 2304 MHz. The six meter yagi, a 6m9khw, has nine elements on a 50 foot boom. The others are much smaller and all are on a twenty foot rotating mast. Four feet of the mast will extend below the top of the tower and will be turned by an M2 Orion 2800 rotator. When the tower is lowered it will be very close to horizontal with the tips of the six meter yagi elements at ground level. That will put all the antennas at eye level for easy maintenance.
I found out that one of the original Heights foldovers was over on the east side of Dallas and the owner, Bob Kellow, W5LT, invited me over to see it. The picture below is of his installation that I visited in January 2007 and was taken just after Bob started lowering it. It was impressive and great to actually kick the tires.
The goal. (2007-1-28)
The tower was finally ordered 2007-2-13.
Thanks to Lance, N4ASW, for the following pictures ...
This is the eight foot tall rebar cage shipped early. (2007-4-15)
This short telephone pole that had supported the north end of my offset center fed hf dipole is where the tower will be placed.
The old pole has been pulled out. (2007-5-19)
Now, this is an auger!
Mounting the bit ...
Much better than a shovel ...
The smoke was not a good sign. The dolomite (limestone) bedrock was hit at about 5.5 feet down
One each MarkV hole ...
After another couple of feet chipped out, the eight foot cage fit into the hole and the base block boarded in.
A few required beer cans in the bottom.
The threaded rods are spaced out and supported ready for the concrete ...
Last daylight for most of these parts forever ...
Pour complete. The red fence is to keep the cows out.
Looking North after it's cured. The tower will lay down to the Northeast.
2007-6-9
---
Now we're waiting for the aluminum to arrive from Florida.
The aluminum arrived 2007 July 16. It is some stout stuff. It should be downhill
from here ...
Two of the local herd wondering what's going on.
The bottom section is attached to the base 2007 August 26 ...
The bottom connections look like aluminum but they are galvanized steel ...
One of the two dual sidearm brackets for non rotating antennas ...
The top 48 feet assembled 2007 September 2 ...
Top attached ...
Raising screw attached ...
Closeup of drive motor assembly ...
The rubber hammer is for obstinate bolts ...
Ready to be raised for the first time 2007 September 12 ...
Up it goes ...
About halfway ...
All the way up ...
From across the street looks like about ten feet over the trees ...
2008-2-2 installation of the m2 orion 2800 ...
2008-2-2 a few of the antennas are back up
2008-3-1 The top section ...
2008-3-1 The initial stack at eye level. This is the way to work on antennas!
2008-3-1 Preliminary stack in the air. Only the bottom to antennas are connected.
I am building a 4 to 1 switch with three Tohtsu CZX3500 relays to switch the 222,
432, 903, and 1296 antennas to one of the 7/8 feedlines. The six meter and two meter
antennas have dedicated feedlines. After I get some numbers on current performance,
the 6m9khw and 2m5wl will replace the 6m5 and crashcraft 13b2. I may upgrade the
222 antenna also. With this foldover, changing an antenna takes less than one hour.
2008-3-1 Closeup of 144, 222, 432, 1296 antennas. 902 not up yet.
The log periodic at the top is for general use. I have since removed it.
2008-3-26 building the 1 to 4 coax switch ...
2008-3-26 Tohtsu CZX3500 relays mounted ...
2008-3-26 1 to 4 switch almost ready to install.
This will switch the 222, 432, 902, and 1296 antennas to a common feed line.
The relays will be individually controlled by supplying 12 V through a 200 foot
piece of #10 x 4 copper wire.
2008-6-5 Now it's ready to go on the tower. Hopefully that will happen before
the big June VHF contest.
The mounting plate is a DXE-UMP-2 from DX Engineering as are the U-bolt saddle clamps. Nice, stout stuff.
After taking a quick survey on various VHF reflectors, I was convinced that I would need a drain hole and it should be sealed enough to let water out and keep insects from getting in. Copper wool in a pipe was one of the suggestions.
The 8" piece of 1/2" conduit is the drain and points down. I couldn't really get the N connector side to point exactly down since the relays would end up swimming in whatever moisture is collected inside. The drain pipe is filled with copper wool. I used a single copper Chore Boy scouring pad made by Spic-and-Span.
2008 October 5 - Finally the switch box is up on the tower between the 222 and 432 yagis.
The box is switching 222, 432, and 1296 with one spare port reserved for 902 or 2304.
50 and 144 have dedicated heliax runs, 1/2" and 7/8" respectively. The switched antennas share one run of 7/8".
I've got one 1/2" heliax run spare at this time.
Now I need to get the station set back up for contesting. It is a mess.
The grey box on the left is the remote switch controller.
The shack end is a Transco rotary here just in front of the m2 orion 2800 controller.
Changing bands involves setting the switches on the remote controller to set the top end and then
selecting the appropriate position on the Transco at the bottom end.
It probably won't be too bad once I get used to it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Late March 2009 except for the big six meter antenna the project is finished.
This is the operating position. The new 902 transverter is the grey box temporarily installed
at the lower left. It was the last band to get going.
This is the stack. From top down, 902, 1296, 432, 222, 144 and 50.
No 2304 yet as I've run out of positions on the 4-way switch.
The whole thing ...
Now waiting for the spring sprints and the big June contest
and then, hopefully, a new solar cycle ...
W5SXD - 2009 April 6