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Posted: 10/11/2024 4:15:56 PM EDT
I recently bought a house that has what I believe to be an old analog TV antenna tower near the house. Is there potential for this to be useful as part of a ham radio setup?
Attached File Attached File I think the base is set in concrete that is buried under the dirt. The tower feels very stable. Right now I'm studying for the test, and a lot of this is still an "unknown unknown" for me. I don't have any plans for it right now, but it would be nice to have a tangible reminder to keep studying. |
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The government is just a corporation with a monopoly on violence.
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[#1]
If it's not in your way, I'd keep it. You might end up throwing an antenna up there...
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[#2]
Just a guess, but it may possibly be Rohn 20, IIRC a lighter-duty version of Rohn 25 but likely suitable for certain types of small ham radio antennas.
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Two guns, one bullet
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[#3]
certainly useable with a dualband 2m/70cm base station antenna, or yagi's on a rotator.
inspect the tower for broken welds and/or missing hardware before attempting to use. commercially, in the circles I worked, these were forbidden to be climbed and only serviceable via a bucket lift. I've climbed several R25G towers in my day (ham installations, non-commercial), but I can not recommend you do so. |
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MIA: M/SGT James W. Holt USSF 2-7-68 SVN
"Your freedom to be you includes my freedom to be free from you." -A. Wilkow |
[#4]
Is there something specific to look for to know what kind it is?
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The government is just a corporation with a monopoly on violence.
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[#5]
Originally Posted By RED_5: commercially, in the circles I worked, these were forbidden to be climbed and only serviceable via a bucket lift. I've climbed several R25G towers in my day (ham installations, non-commercial), but I can not recommend you do so. View Quote |
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The government is just a corporation with a monopoly on violence.
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[#6]
YES!
If for nothing else put a block and halyard on it to use it for one end of an antenna! |
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http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com
Vote "YES" on 'NO'! For Captain Erick Foster, Wexford, PA KIA 29 Aug, 07. Rangers lead the way. Inspected by #26 I was checking out this midget porn website.... |
[#7]
Originally Posted By Gingerbreadman: Is there something specific to look for to know what kind it is? View Quote it's been a while since I wore that hat, but I do remember measuring the diameter of the braces, lengths of the welds and leg spacing, to determine if they were compliant to use as-is.. Hopefully you can find some other source of info, as It'd take a while for me to go search through my external archives.. |
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MIA: M/SGT James W. Holt USSF 2-7-68 SVN
"Your freedom to be you includes my freedom to be free from you." -A. Wilkow |
[#8]
Our solution for that kind of tower was to employ a SAK (skinny Amish kid) to climb it.
One of my CB radio buddies was from the Millersburg area. Thinner version of me who was fearless when it came to climbing. He put many an antenna up for the local radio crowd. |
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[#9]
Is the top at an angle? Maybe just the angle of the picture.
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[#10]
Originally Posted By Gingerbreadman: an old analog TV antenna tower View Quote Yeah you're not going to be able to operate digital modes from there (kidding) Yes it's useful. With that installation what to watch out for is corrosion just below the dirt surface, hopefully there's concrete down there somewhere. |
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This is...a clue - Pat_Rogers
I'm not adequately aluminumized for this thread. - gonzo_beyondo CO, MI, OR - Please lobby your legislators to end discrimination against non-resident CCW permit holders |
[#11]
Looks fine for an antenna. I just have a 25' steel pole I use for mine. I can raise and lower it, though, which makes it a lot easier to use.
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[#12]
Rohn 20 has 18 inches between the horizontal steps, the 25g is 12 1/2 inches. The size of the zig zag braces are 9/32 for the 20, and they are 5/16 for the 25g. There are 8 zig zag braces on the 25 g per 10 foot section. If the tower is sturdy and in good shape, no holes rusted thru or anything like that, there should not be a problem climbing it. You will need a rather expensive belt to climb it or hire someone with tower experience, or rent the bucket truck as mentioned. Yes, very useful thing to have on the property, good for installing beams and also as center supports for wire antennas with a stand off. Look on my QRZ page.
James K0UA |
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[#13]
That tower will be fine for a dual band vertical and a small 2m/70cm yagi antenna. It will also work for hanging light weight wire antennas like a dipole or end fed half wave from it. I definitely would not try to put up a big multi band HF antenna on that tower though.
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DAV lifetime member
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[Last Edit: Frank_B]
[#14]
Looks to be in good shape. If you're studying for your Tech, pop a vertical or Yagi on it.
For HF, it could support the center of a dipole or one side of an end-fed. Or you could put on a TV antenna and ditch the cable. |
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"...Capitalism...shares its blessings unequally; ...Socialism...shares its miseries equally."
Winston Churchill |
[#15]
You could easily put a dial band 2m/440 vertical on there, or a multi-band radialess vertical for hf
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[#16]
Originally Posted By SpanishInquisition: You could easily put a dial band 2m/440 vertical on there, or a multi-band radialess vertical for hf View Quote Something like this. Plenty out there, shop around. |
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"...Capitalism...shares its blessings unequally; ...Socialism...shares its miseries equally."
Winston Churchill |
[#17]
Originally Posted By RED_5: certainly useable with a dualband 2m/70cm base station antenna, or yagi's on a rotator. inspect the tower for broken welds and/or missing hardware before attempting to use. commercially, in the circles I worked, these were forbidden to be climbed and only serviceable via a bucket lift. I've climbed several R25G towers in my day (ham installations, non-commercial), but I can not recommend you do so. View Quote No climbing? WTH? I've climbed a bunch of these guys. Some past 100' when installing them. My buddy and I used to take them down for people like the OP who'd buy a house and not want the tower the previous owner left behind. I had a backyard full of tower sections. |
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"The answer to crime is always cows." -Cheesebeast
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[#18]
Easily put some beams on it. Even a decent size 6m beam.
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[Last Edit: SnowMule]
[#19]
Keep it. That's a good Rohn tower and it looks like it's in decent/serviceable condition.
Throw a PTZ camera up there and tie it into your NVR. Tower cameras are great to have. Take a close look at the "point of daylight" - where the metal comes out of the ground. That's one area where metal is prone to corrosion. While you're looking at where it comes out of the ground, look for any metal deformation indicative of water in the leg freezing. Sometimes it'll even blow the tower leg out completely. Internal corrosion. Hard to get a good gauge of that without expensive ultrasonics or x-ray inspection techniques. I usually rap on the tower legs with a wrench and listen for shit falling down the inside of the legs. Grounding - don't see anything installed on there, so that'd be something to consider adding. Improves safety and system performance. The tower's totally climbable. Don't need to get crazy with expensive gear for something like that. Harness with dorsal (primary fall arrest), sternal (rescue and for things like cable devices), and hip (positioning) D-rings. I have an older DBI Sala Exofit I use as "backup"/spare or for when I don't want to climb into my rope access harness for quick/simple jobs. You'll also want a double-leg Y-style lanyard, and positioning like a grillon. Hooks go on the heavy vertical elements, not the Z-structure in the middle. Climbing safety's more than I can throw in a single post. There's a right and a wrong way to do it. Also strongly recommend a helmet. I carry a lot of shit on me and that shit's nice to have, but for a 20ft section of tower I wouldn't bother with any of that fluff. 200ft is a different story. but really, throw a camera up there. |
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[#20]
Thanks everyone!
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The government is just a corporation with a monopoly on violence.
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