Getting the Story Straight
If you are a regular reader of my blogs you would have been aware that a couple of months ago I had the misfortune of having the tower fall over in a freak storm.
I would like to get the story straight in that the only reason that the tower fell over was of my own stupidity and should in no way reflect badly on the manufacturer.
When the tower was first erected on my property I was informed that I would need to get some tie-down straps for each corner of the trailer. The trailer is manufactured with hooks for this very purpose. I would then need to concrete four hooks into the ground so that the tie-down straps could attach too. Conclusion: I never got around to doing this.
The manufacturer also told me that whenever I wasn't operating, to wind down the antenna to lower the wind load. Conclusion: I had been operating earlier in the day and had to go out for a couple of hours thinking "it'll be alright, I won't be long" I'll do some more operating when I get back....... I didn't wind down the antenna even though it only takes 60 seconds.
Too much trust in mother nature and it will never happen to me. Conclusion: Given that it was a very severe storm, Brisbane & surrounds have had some bad storms this summer...... I should always expect the worst and prepare accordingly.
If I had listened to the manufacturer and installed the tie-downs and hooks and also wound down the antenna, this would have never happened. I'd still be getting plenty of use out of the 4ele delta loop.
I would also like to say that the tower and trailer came out of this unscathed except for a few sheared bolts which are easily replaced. This tower will be going up again in the next couple of weeks.
Would I buy another? You bet, if the XYL let's me.
Basically, follow the manufacturers instructions and you won't have any problems.
I would like to get the story straight in that the only reason that the tower fell over was of my own stupidity and should in no way reflect badly on the manufacturer.
When the tower was first erected on my property I was informed that I would need to get some tie-down straps for each corner of the trailer. The trailer is manufactured with hooks for this very purpose. I would then need to concrete four hooks into the ground so that the tie-down straps could attach too. Conclusion: I never got around to doing this.
The manufacturer also told me that whenever I wasn't operating, to wind down the antenna to lower the wind load. Conclusion: I had been operating earlier in the day and had to go out for a couple of hours thinking "it'll be alright, I won't be long" I'll do some more operating when I get back....... I didn't wind down the antenna even though it only takes 60 seconds.
Too much trust in mother nature and it will never happen to me. Conclusion: Given that it was a very severe storm, Brisbane & surrounds have had some bad storms this summer...... I should always expect the worst and prepare accordingly.
If I had listened to the manufacturer and installed the tie-downs and hooks and also wound down the antenna, this would have never happened. I'd still be getting plenty of use out of the 4ele delta loop.
I would also like to say that the tower and trailer came out of this unscathed except for a few sheared bolts which are easily replaced. This tower will be going up again in the next couple of weeks.
Would I buy another? You bet, if the XYL let's me.
Basically, follow the manufacturers instructions and you won't have any problems.
Labels: story straight, tower
posted by Laurie & Chelsea Porter at Thursday, January 22, 2009
3 Comments:
Hello:
I Know the drama ofa falling tower. Tonight we have a bir wind storm and I am not sleeping for the sound of it and...for my antennas.
Go ahead again and put it up. Not as it was if it was abig tower but...stand it again. Tell her ii is lowe and...hope it doesn´t repeat!
73
Why would a trailer tower need to be concreted??? Aren't they supposed to be portable??
It's not actually the trailer that is getting concreted. It's four strong metal hooks that are concreted into the ground away from each corner of the trailer. Then four heavy duty tie-downs are used from each corner of the trailer to each hook.
Cheers Laurie
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