Author Topic: Tower Pivot  (Read 962 times)

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Chet

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Tower Pivot
« on: May 13, 2006, 04:29:40 AM »
  For tilt-up guyed towers, what designs and materials have you used for the pivot and base? My main concerns are strength and low maintenance.  I have something in mind but I'd like to know what has worked ( or not worked ) for others.


Chet  

« Last Edit: May 13, 2006, 04:29:40 AM by (unknown) »

jmk

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Re: Tower Pivot
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2006, 07:12:51 AM »
 I went to the scrap yard and found a peice of 7" angle iron. It is 5/8" thick, and 40" long. I cut it in half, welded two peices of flat stock on the bottom to hold them at the proper spaceing. I bought a section of 5/8" stainless all thread cut it into 9" peices. Then I bolted one on each corner, and at the bottom of the all thread I bolted some 2" scrap peices of angle iron. Then embedded it in a 30" by 30" by 24" concreat footing. My tower and gin pole weigh about 1500 lbs with the machine on top. The hinge works great!  

This isn't the best picture but you can kind of see it. the footing is below the surface of the ground to help because its allready 18" and 36" above the side footings, and 5' and 6' front to rear. The guys tighten as it goes up, so I stood the first section plumed and tightened the guys. Then when I raise the tower the higher it gets the less play there is in the guys. It actualy goes up and down very smooth.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2006, 07:12:51 AM by jmk »

cjdock

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Re: Tower Pivot
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2006, 07:24:35 AM »
I took my unused house antenna and made the 2 legs the hinge. I took (3) 2 ft long pieces of angle iron and bolted them to the three legs while on a work bench. I then welded the 3 pieces of angle iron together with scrape peices of steel. I then buried the framed angle iron into the cement based. This way I knew the based of the antenna would fit on the angle iron frame.

« Last Edit: May 13, 2006, 07:24:35 AM by cjdock »