Antenna installation with a tractor

[wroughtn_harv]

Bud called about giving him a helping hand installing an antenna. He needed fifty feet of antenna for the wi-fi internet service. The internet service not only wanted a bundle for supplying the antenna, they were backed up on installations.

He found a used one on Craigs list. So yesterday I arrived on site with Iris and we dug a two foot by five foot hole. Now the internet company said they used a three foot by three foot by three foot footer for their installation. An antenna installer told my bud that all he needed was an eighteen inch by eighteen inch block to hold the bottom of the antenna from kicking out. The reason I chose the five foot depth was he needed fifty feet and the antenna he purchased was fifty eight feet when we put it together. Five feet in the ground gave us fifty three feet of height.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Then it was a simple matter of assembling the antenna sections. A lot easier said than done.

Once that was complete we used Iris to stand up the fifty eight foot antenna.

Nothing but a thing.

None of the antenna people bud talked to recommended guy wires. But we did attach the antenna to the rake of the building, just in case.

 

[KB9UDE]

Unless you have a substantial amount of large antennas and high winds you should be ok without guy wires. It is good that you put 5 feet in the ground or you really should have the wires. I would recommend painting at least the sections that look rusty if not the whole thing. Get a saftey harness and some buckets of galvanized paint and then start at the top using a car wash mitt and work your way to the bottom. The paint will greatly extend the life of the tower if you keep it painted every 5 years or so.

John

 

[mikim]

looks like an 18 " Rhone tower ... I have one of those to move from our old office to my place in the country. It's 50' as well ..... and you have experience now ...cool ...;-) .... I plan on attaching it to the gable of a building with standoffs ....He should ground the devil out of that tower too. Lightning rod on top with a big copper cable run down to at least 1 8' rod. - the more rods the better. I planned on putting it up in sections though. I was afraid of it breaking on me raising it as one piece like you did.

 

[DANOCHEESE]

yep put them up usually one section at a time. I would'nt worry about down guys. You can also gain some height to get above the trees with a mast pipe. It does look like you are still in the fresnal zone. RF sucking trees.