Tower #1 Rohn BX-40:
Tower #1 is primarily for SSB operations, though APRS and FM is in use on it at this time also until Tower #2 is complete.
Yaesu G-800S Rotor
UVS-200 Dual Band 6/8db (Diamond X-200 Clone)
Jetstream JTB3 Dual Band 4.5/7.2db
Hy-Gain VB-28FM 8el 2m Yagi
Diamond A430S10 10el 70cm Yagi
Arrow Antenna 52-4S 4el 6m Yagi
Par Electronics OA-144 2m Loop
Par Electronics OA-50 6m Loop
RadioShack 20-176 Scanner Antenna
Alpha Delta DX-LB Plus
DX Engineering Utility Enclosure
Jetstream JT40R Lightning Arrestors (Coax Feed Protection)
ICE Radio Products
Transient Suppressor / RF Filter (Rotor Cable and Remote Coax Switch Cable
Protection)
Davis Weather Monitor II
Tower #1 is a used Rohn BX-40, installation began with the digging of the hole, by me and by hand, and it took two days. And also involved the removal of an old sidewalk that was no longer being used.
Formed up with just about every scrap of wood I had.
The inspector had to check my work. (Ok, actually its one of my son's making sure Dad did it right!)
Later that day after the truck left and concrete was done.
And here it is a week later, cured enough to clean everything up and get rid of the forms.
And here it is going up. That's Arend KCØOFZ, in the red jacket, and Kurt NØVEK, putting them up one at a time.
We did everything but the top section that day. The top section was awaiting the thrust bearing and rotor before putting it up, a lot easier to drill those plates and check fit on the ground first.
The top section going up, it was cold, windy, and we didn't spend any more time than necessary finishing it! On that note, a big thanks to Rob NØTAW for freezing his butt off to put it up that day, along with Arend KCØOFZ, and Rollie KCØOVC.
Installing the top section with everything but the 6m beam installed. We hauled it up complete. The picture quality is reduced since I had to capture these images from video taken that day by Rollie KCØOVC. Did I mention how darn cold and windy it was??
After getting a couple bolts in Rob's hands were VERY cold.. Here he is on the run to hug the coffee pot and get some feeling in the digits! Is he a brave soul or what?
And after he got warmed up we finished the top section.
Here is Rob showing he is always a ham, even when hamming it up for the camera waving from the top.
Next was assembly of the 6m Yagi. Rob NØTAW on the left, Arend KCØOFZ in the middle, and me on the right.
Installing the 6m Yagi.
And then its on to taping up cables and making his way down.
The final result of that day!
And here is the latest additions today, 12/23, thanks again to Rob NØTAW for doing the work! The Hy-Gain VB-28 8el Yagi is in place, and the 2m loop on the side mount. Here is the 2m Yagi going up!
And here goes the 2m Loop. That's tower man extraordinaire NØTAW. Yes, that is ice hanging off the antennas. This work was done shortly after some freezing rain which deposited about a quarter of an inch or more of ice on everything. Luckily it was warm this day and everything was melting and falling off.
And here it is after this work was complete!
Some more work got done now that we are above freezing again! The addition of a grounding panel for all the suppressors on each coax line going into the shack and each control line for the rotor and remote coax switch. There is one position left on the top right, this will be the feed line to the Alpha Delta once I get another day with enough time to move the coax feeding it now from the coax switch to the grounding panel.
Also added was a Jetstream JTB3 off the side for the APRS Digipeater. You can also see the Davis anemometer and wind vane on the same pipe below the JTB3. And the pulley supporting the Alpha Delta DX-LB Plus to the left of the tower.
With the addition of a grounding rod and some wire I got more done on the tower with another warm day! Here is the connection in the grounding enclosure.
Here is the connection to the tower.
And here is the connection to the ground rod.
Coax entry to the house was added before the snow flied this year. Its gray electrical conduit and goes from the base of the tower to the foundation where it enters and feeds the new shack in the basement. The conduit comes up at the edge of the concrete base for the tower and is buried across the back yard and then goes up to the house and through the foundation.
Davis Instruments rain gauge for my Weather Monitor II.
For those that will ask about the sticker on the rain gauge here is a close-up. Made one of my neighbors raise his eyebrows a bit! HI HI
Davis Instruments Temp/Humidity sensor in a passive solar radiation shield. Looks like a bunch of upside down square plastic plates.
One final shot of the tower as it is right now! When I get the time and money I will be adding a UHF Yagi, horizontally polarized for SSB use, taking up the last available position on the remote coax switch mounted to the tower. Finally got the siding all done on the house as well, no more insulation board showing!
One last thing needed to be done and it was done today, 2/24/09, the final connection was made to the UHF Yagi that got put on the tower this past weekend. Tower #1 is now complete as all positions in the ground panel and on the remote coax switch are full, no more room!
Again many thanks go out to the following for helping make this a reality! Without them it never would have got done, let alone put up in the air!
NØTAW Rob
NØVEK Kurt
KCØOFZ Arend
KCØOVC Rollie
I am now busy working on Tower #2! I have managed to scrounge another used tower, and some antenna's to start that project.
This site was last updated 01/25/10