Tilting HAM Radio Antenna Tower Part 3 - Rigging-Operation-Cable Entrance and Grounding

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Tilting HAM Radio Antenna Tower Part 3 - Rigging-Operation-Cable Entrance and Grounding

Рет қаралды 43,709

Marc in Metcalfe

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 95

@maxasaurus3008 5 ай бұрын

You might not be ‘professional’ but you are an expert.

@geoffmcwiggan2814 Жыл бұрын

What a beautiful piece of engineering ! Thoughtfully engineered and executed. A huge credit to you my friend. Cheers from OZ 🇦🇺

@donmccormick856 Жыл бұрын

Marc I know I commented previously about this being the best video series out there for this application. Well by watching this series several times and consulting with a friend who is much better at math than I. I'm happy to report in late October last year we got my 60 foot tower with a 10 foot mast on top up and working. It has withstood some 90 km winds and a couple of winter blizzards so far without issue. Not worried about summer as the trees will fill in and create a wind break for most of the tower. Can not thank you enough for taking the time to do these videos.

@Uncle_Buzz Жыл бұрын

One little tip on the little tractor (I have one just like it)... Extend that backhoe bucket as far out as possible for some counter weight, and poke the teeth into the ground for some more holding. It's sometimes just enough to make all the difference in preventing the tractor from moving.

@phils2180 2 жыл бұрын

A very interesting series of videos on a great engineering solution. 👍 Hats off to you and anyone who has the knowledge and expertise to design, build and instal projects like this. I'm with you on the "no climbing" approach. I retired 2 years ago after 40+ years of climbing as a linesman but now find it quite a chore as age takes it's toll😂.

@marcinmetcalfe595 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the positive feedback Phil. I really enjoy using this system and it was a great fun project to design and build. Marc.

@TerraFirmaX 2 жыл бұрын

Great tower. Might I suggest filling the bucket with dirt as a counter weight. It will help greatly.

@marcinmetcalfe595 2 жыл бұрын

Good suggestion. Thanks for the comment.

@clintelawson 3 жыл бұрын

What an amazing setup! Thanks for sharing!

@BayAreaCowboy Жыл бұрын

What an amazing project. This is the nicest tilting tower I’ve seen. I wish I could buy a kit with all the parts for it. Great job.

@marcinmetcalfe595 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind words. I am glad that you enjoyed the video. I also agree that a quality tilting tower kit would be great (I would have bought one), but I already spent the past 30 years running a small engineering business and I am not that interested in starting another one. lol . Take care. Marc VE3BOE

@BayAreaCowboy Жыл бұрын

@@marcinmetcalfe595 By chance do you have a set of plans you would be will to sell for this set up. In the next few years I will be building a shop in some property. I would love to build your same set up. I am a carpenter so much I can do except for the welding I would have to hire out. Including the tilting beam antenna with the other antennas you use. In my opinion this is really the ideal set up. I also like the clear to sprayed on the aluminum. Can you tell me what product you used? Where did you buy the tower?

@marcinmetcalfe595 Жыл бұрын

I don’t have any plans. Most of the construction details etc., can be seen in the videos and found in replies to comments found in the three video series. The clear paint is Rustoleum clear. Good luck with your project.

@jameyevans29 Жыл бұрын

That is a work of art

@billybiker1383 Жыл бұрын

Great video and thank you for sharing. Im doing a similar project this year but I have opted for a tilt/telescopic mast that i will need to build from scratch as they dont have them in the Philippines.

@GavinFreedomLover 2 жыл бұрын

Great build , maybe a couple of holes drilled through the base to allow the water to escape , great workmanship .

@marcinmetcalfe595 Жыл бұрын

There are a few holes. With all the other technical aspects of the design, that was the least of my worries. lol. Thanks for watching.

@mikemcdonald5147 3 жыл бұрын

very cool design and setup. Had I seen this before I did mine I would've done mine like yours. It looks safer than mine.

@marcinmetcalfe595 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Mike. Had I seen this video before I would have done things differently as well. LOL

@wou58 3 жыл бұрын

I have seen great antenna tower work.

@marcinmetcalfe595 3 жыл бұрын

감사합니다

@novaindrajati4984 3 жыл бұрын

very nice landscape at the end. good job

@matteng2332 Жыл бұрын

Amazing set up 73s

@jay-rus4437 3 жыл бұрын

Beautiful

@rickjames302 3 жыл бұрын

got that right!

@cloemker 9 ай бұрын

@marcinmetcalfe595, thanks for this video. It gave a bunch of good info and inspiration for our tilt up project that finally got set in place yesterday. 73!

@kamaledirisinghe 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the informative video. I am gearing up for something similar here - 4S7AB Sri Lanka

@marcinmetcalfe595 3 жыл бұрын

I am glad that you found this video informative and that it might assist you in developing your own setup. I remember how helpful other KZfaqr videos were when I was designing mine. Your QRZ page is very interesting. You are certainly a very accomplished Amateur. I laughed at your reference to "little QRM machines". I now have second generation "QRM machines" here, but now that QRM goes away after a few hours or a few days. LOL. Take care and good luck with your project.

@111111111Tiger 3 жыл бұрын

Great setup - thanks for sharing !

@davidhtims 3 ай бұрын

I know it’s been a while but……the falling tower anchor could be anchored with a deadman

@arocked1 3 жыл бұрын

Interesting video👍

@aerofart 11 ай бұрын

Wow, you’re living in paradise. Very nice setup you have there. Did you remove the wasps nest or did you forgive them for liking your antenna tower more than you do and leave them be?

@marcinmetcalfe595 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for your interest. Yes I feel very fortunate to live here. It was not active when it was in the video so I removed it. I get lots of different kinds of nests around here.

@anthonymarino4260 Ай бұрын

great vid. W O W

@rickjames302 3 жыл бұрын

beautiful design. only recommendation i can make would be to make and install a cover for your base so you don't have standing water in your tilt base. other than that i am 110% jealous of your setup. does this tower design allow for manually climbing the tower to perform work or is it solely meant for doing work when in the down position?

@marcinmetcalfe595 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your comments Rick. I did drill a few holes in the base for standing water drainage but I think I need a few more. With regards to the tower’s climbability, the original manufacturer of the tower states that it is climbable if installed according to their specifications. My titling mechanism falls outside of their specified design. My design intent was to never have to climb it.

@arnoldmamesah2424 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing 🙏👍😊 Hopefully we can meet on the band 73s VK6HY also on freeband lol 😁🙏👍

@marcinmetcalfe595 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind words Arnold. The Amateur Radio community is such a considerate and kind one. I am glad to be a part of it. 73s to you as well.

@WallDiver7 Жыл бұрын

Hard to tell in the video, but it looks like the cables from your "falling derrick" are not at equal tension when under load (the cables attached to the tower). Should not all of them be of equal tension when pulling?

@tonymcclendon-hobbytime7727 Жыл бұрын

Great design

@arildoaparecidocosta5729 3 жыл бұрын

Ótimo trabalho gualidade total bazuka Foz do Iguaçu pr Brasil

@marcinmetcalfe595 3 жыл бұрын

Obrigado

@seanbernard2361 9 ай бұрын

Amazing

@Rogerunion 5 ай бұрын

Great video!!! Beautiful country!!! KD2QMJ

@jimmycake7143 2 жыл бұрын

good view of FLAT EARTH!

@DJCaverna 4 ай бұрын

fantastic, 73 de PY7DJ

@canadianyellowvest3053 11 ай бұрын

Where did you purchase the pulleys? Amazing video. This is inspiring me to convert our 48 foot tower to be a tilting one...

@patrickmckowen2999 2 жыл бұрын

Very nice 👍

@py2low2 Жыл бұрын

Nice Work

@marcinmetcalfe595 Жыл бұрын

Thanks.

@shortwavesurfer7222 2 жыл бұрын

Dream Tower ,antennas and location🙏

@vironpayne3405 Жыл бұрын

Very nice. Did you add drain holes to the base plate?

@richardshort4587 2 жыл бұрын

Brilliant setup. Could a guy use hydraulic rams to raise and lower the tower rather than the cable set up you have? Regarding the Tremclad Clear, did you brush or spray the tower. It’s so clean and new looking. I ask as I’m just getting into the hobby and looking for a used tower to purchase. There a few around for sale close by me heights being 40’, 56’ and 96 feet. My concern is I don’t know if they are capable of being strong enough to handle the action of lowering and raising with out buckling or snapping at the pulling/lowering point, is you’re tower built from a heavier grade of steel so as not have that happen. Thanks 73

@marcinmetcalfe595 2 жыл бұрын

I would guess that there are many other methods to raise and lower a tower like this. It is simply a matter of knowing how to design and implement them properly and safely. I can't speak tp the suitability of other towers. The tower I am using was not intended to be used in this manner by the manufacturer. The lower segment of the tower in my project is reinforced. This is stated in my part 1 video.

@woodyccc Жыл бұрын

Very professional job. I am amazed in your attention to detail. I see is previous comments that the mast is a 20' aluminum one. Can you tell me the ID and wall thickness? I am planning a mast location of similar length and antenna array. Also, what was the length of the falling derrick in relation to your mast height? It seemed to work very well. 73's K5OOL

@marcinmetcalfe595 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for your nice comments Chris. My falling derrick is 16 feet in length. I am looking into my records for the exact spec on the mast. I remember being very specific about that and I had to have it special ordered by my local shop. I will repost when I find it.

@marcinmetcalfe595 Жыл бұрын

The Aluminum mast has a wall thickness of 1/4 inch and an outer diameter of 2 inches.

@Soladaddy 3 жыл бұрын

Wow, nice everything. How tall is the whole setup to the vertical at the top?

@marcinmetcalfe595 3 жыл бұрын

The tower is 56’ tall. The mast extends 12’ above the top of the tower where the VHFUHF vertical is mounted. Thanks for your interest.

@silverleapers Жыл бұрын

Might some weights hanging (at an appropriate length) on another wire off the guy wire(s) opposite the gin pole make a balance so the tower doesn't slam down and wobble so badly. Others do this and have even made a perfectly balanced tower pivot using the counterwight to offset the weight of the ginpole, etc. They literally hand lower it into its final resting place an inch at a time. This also eliminates the need for a solid brace between the tower and the ginpole. See kzfaq.info/get/bejne/n5eRo8qKmK3bZYk.html

@johnnywood8082 3 жыл бұрын

Please do a shack video!

@josephjones6539 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this awesome informative video about your tower and the yagi antennas! One quick question, would the Comet antenna, I believe you said yours is the CA-52HB4, work very good for the 160 - 162 MHz range. I'm having trouble finding a yagi within that programmed range.

@marcinmetcalfe595 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your nice comments Joseph. The antenna I believe you are referring to is the 13 element Cushcraft 13B2 and it is designed to operate from 140 to 148 Mhz. I may have mistakenly called it a comet in my video. I don’t believe it would be effective in the frequency range you asked about.

@josephjones6539 3 жыл бұрын

Ah okay, thank you so much! Once again amazing set up with the tower!

@BLK_PWR 2 жыл бұрын

Can this be converted into small cell phone tower, thx.

@davidhollfelder9940 3 жыл бұрын

Marc, What the mfg & part number of the lightning arrestors? What wattage rating? Coax 259?

@marcinmetcalfe595 3 жыл бұрын

I used the PolyPhaser PPR-IS-50UX-C0. They are the flange mount type with SO-239 female connectors. The specs state 2000 watts. They make many variants. I used LMR400 Ultraflex for all antennas.

@mikemcdonald5147 3 жыл бұрын

how long is your mast? I see you have three separate beam antennas on it.

@marcinmetcalfe595 3 жыл бұрын

The mast is 20’ long. Each antenna is mounted four feet apart. The first antenna is a Hygain Explorer 14 (with 40m) about 1 foot up from the tower top bearing, then four feet up to the Cushcratf 5 element A505S for 6m, then another four feet up to the Cushcraft 13B2 13 element for 2m, then finally an additional four feet up to a Comet GP6 for 2m and 70cm. That leaves approx 7 feet from the top bearing down to the rotor. The Mast is aluminum. Hopes this helps.

@marcinmetcalfe595 3 жыл бұрын

And with regards to the antennas, there is also an Alpha Delta DX A 1/4 wave sloper (160m, 80m, and 40m) located a few feet below the Epxlorer 14 beam. This gives me total coverage on the tower of 160m, 80m, 40m, 20m, 15m, 10m, 6m, 2m, and 70 cm. It’s relatively easy to add antennas to a tower when you can easily bring it down to the ground. Hats off to those who climb to do this. I hope your project is working out well for you.

@JayN4GO Жыл бұрын

@@marcinmetcalfe595 20 ft of alum mast pipe must’ve been extremely expensive but worth it. I’m looking at the same tower locally that has never been installed. I would only use it for tilt as well. I missed the first two parts but I will watch them. I’m currently in the city but somewhat looking in rural areas for a home and a few acres. Very hard to come by at the moment. I’m also very curious on how your 40m add on compares to your 40m wire “alpha delta”? Thanks for the inspiration. 73 jay

@marcinmetcalfe595 Жыл бұрын

The aluminum mast was actually not that expensive. I seem to recall around $200? . I couldn’t tell the difference between the wire 40m and the Explorer add on element so I ended up removing the 40m add-on and restoring the Explorer 14 to its original design. The 40m add on is structurally very weak and, in my opinion, a bit too much for this size of antenna. That’s why I removed it. I would not recommend it.

@JayN4GO Жыл бұрын

@@marcinmetcalfe595 thank you very much for the feedback. I’ve noticed that with 40m trapped dipoles also. If you can recall the aluminum pipe size and number, that would be great. I think metal depot is where I looked before. I’ve been using gas pipe and it’s extremely heavy and causes massive wind load up top. I would definitely like to do it right this time. Btw I’ve found 40m delta loops do well in a sloper or vertical plane. Fed 75ohm rg11 stub.

@genemcdonald7138 3 жыл бұрын

Ta heck with the the tower,,I like the garage...beautiful setup Marc,,as others have said,,I'm about to do something similar here in Honey Harbour north of Barrie.How tall is your tower and what is the size of the winch?....Gene..VE3IJD

@marcinmetcalfe595 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Gene. My tower is 56’ tall with 12’ of mast extending above it for the antennas. The winch I am using is a 12,000 lb unit. It is actually overkill considering I am using it in a double line pull configuration. You’ll have to do the math on your final setup for your required size. Best wishes to you from Metcalfe south of Ottawa. VE3BOE

@6alban 3 жыл бұрын

@@marcinmetcalfe595 Cheers Marc for that outstanding setup you do have there. Congratulations. Got a question about your tower, what brand is it? Looks like a Wade DMXHD, made there in Ontario, isn't? I'm about to mount one 40 feets of that same brand ( Wade ). Thanks for sharing and best 73 from VA2VG.

@marcinmetcalfe595 3 жыл бұрын

@@6alban The tower is based on a DMX48 Heavy duty with an additional 8 foot straight section added. The mast is a 20' aluminum mast with 14' protruding from the top of the tower. The rotor mount was custom located lower than the original to provide greater stability. The stock Wade top bearing was replaced with a heavier duty Yeasu GS-065 top bearing.

@dieseldes6578 2 жыл бұрын

I'm very interested in your tilt bracket. Have you any details you could share? 73's GI0UTE

@marcinmetcalfe595 Жыл бұрын

I got my idea from this guy: www.glagowski.org/radio/Antennas%20Hinge%20Plate%20Boom%20Mount.htm

@akepatinagaraju8564 2 жыл бұрын

Sir linear bremi 25 watts about

@benramler3277 3 жыл бұрын

how do you make the hinged plate for the antennas? 73 de Ben K0BLR

@marcinmetcalfe595 3 жыл бұрын

I got the idea from this this gentleman’s web site, : www.glagowski.org/radio/Antennas%20Hinge%20Plate%20Boom%20Mount.htm

@akepatinagaraju8564 2 жыл бұрын

👍👍👍👍👍

@deepwaterescue4u Ай бұрын

That looked more like a hornets nest

@johnnywood8082 3 жыл бұрын

What is your background as far as a profession or training?

@marcinmetcalfe595 Жыл бұрын

I am a Professional Mechanical Engineer.

@johnnywood8082 Жыл бұрын

@@marcinmetcalfe595 thanks for the response, never too late right? 😂

@elonlovesyou 2 жыл бұрын

Well then. I wish my hoa would allow this.

@user-yq2lj8yr1c 8 ай бұрын

ف١اااااك مارك 😂😂😂ههههههههااي

@jimmycake7143 3 жыл бұрын

Flat earth view, at top.

@LZ1SSA 2 жыл бұрын

Много, много сериозно съоръжение. Поздрави.

@marcinmetcalfe595 2 жыл бұрын

Благодаря ви за милите думи. Поздрави от Канада.

@LZ1SSA 2 жыл бұрын

@@marcinmetcalfe595 , Вие сте Българин?

@marcinmetcalfe595 2 жыл бұрын

@@LZ1SSA Не. Просто използване на Google превод. Поздрав.