Antenna Tower Project Part 3: It's Done!

[@agoraphobicadam1171]

Oh Heck Yeah! You know life is good when you have a beautiful property with a big shop with a huge antenna tower and some radios to broadcast with. :) Nice set up Eric.

[@MonicaMovieStar]

Good for you!! I'm happy that you got all of that hard work done and ready to use. Can't wait to see videos of this in use!!

[@pulltabsdetector7608]

Me too

[@richc8253]

Cool design, Eric. Awesome vids to see it come together.

[@rgrimm3173]

Great to see it in place....will be listening on my mobile on the skip side !😊

[@gregday7188]

Good Job. Wish i could do that where i live now. (apartment now) I love your videos, learn alot from them.

[@FarpointFarms]

Glad I could help!

[@kyledevelbiss1053]

Looks really good! Glad it’s finished!

[@FarpointFarms]

A true labor of love. It was not as easy as I had hoped, but I came in under budget and in the end it works and looks great!

[@DillonOrbon]

My A99 just came in last night, super excited!

[@FarpointFarms]

It's a great Antenna! enjoy it.

[@douglasvamateurradioandmore]

i bought and installed one a few years ago. Glad I did. I got my first 10M amateur radio dx contact on it shortly after installation.

[@Graciegunfire]

Great stuff....will be listening for you on 38 LSB.....in Sydney Australia (skip depending)...!

[@corydenew9519]

So glad to see it done! great work mate!!

[@HerbWalker]

Always nice to have new toys and the ones we build are even MORE fun..Congrats BoogeyMan West Texas

[@86jekstrom]

There ain't no woods in texas

[@albertbarros5272]

Wow! Really awsome end to your project. Thanks for sharing...and congrats on your 10K subscriptions.

[@drumminsonlive9199]

Glad to see you were successful putting the imax in the sky I have done some homemade towers very similar to yours so I know how heavy and how difficult raising it is. I am in the planning stages of putting up a Sirie Tornado 5/8 wave 24’ tall antenna and I want to get 30’ to the bottom of the antenna so I have a lot to think about... I’ll let you know how it goes... Thanks

[@FarpointFarms]

Please let me know how it goes.

[@drumminsonlive9199]

@@FarpointFarms I will. Thanks

[@charleswills4554]

Looks great ,I've got a 45 foot tower in the back yard ready to go up with an a99 on top.Hopefully the extra 20 feet or so in height will make a difference.

[@FarpointFarms]

So far I'm loving it. We've had some storms and it has survived them A-OK so hopefully it will be there for years.

[@buzzsah]

A lot of work, two years ago I installed a 50 ft free-standing tower, 25 to 30 bags for concrete a big hole a John Deere and my wife.

[@Bazz24697]

Great stuff you have done a fantastic job 👍it's funny l was lucky enough to buy A99 5/8 ground plane Antenna second hand just have to clean it up and spry some colour and clear coat then up she go's 🇭🇲😉

[@BrianKolb71]

Nice job Eric!!!

[@FarpointFarms]

Thanks!

[@frugalfishguy4870]

Next we want to know about the reach, and now that you have 10,000. subscribers you got a Camera operator....... Big Time !

[@blessedby3by35]

NICE!!!... i have heard you comment that you don't use beams, you should consider the "v-series" beams by either Gizmotchy or Jo-Gunn. Very light weight antennas , only requiring a tv antenna rotor and designed for skip. Great for sideband! and you are in the perfect location for that antenna design!... anyway great work!...73's/55's

[@FarpointFarms]

I'll look into it. Thanks!

[@mattcameron9349]

Given that you have those lovely big trees directly behind you, have you considered stringing up a T2LT (bazooka) antenna as high up as you can?

[@christophersmith1155]

GLAD YOU PUT UP THE IMAX 2000. LOOKING FORWARD TO PERFORMANCE REPORTS AND COMMENT ON THIS DIPOLE. THX . YOUR FAN TRANSMITTING OUT OF MY OFFICE IN MIDTOWN MANHATTAN. 73'S

[@MarkyShaw]

Looks freakin’ awesome man! That’s no easy project. We’re all gonna towers once the Internet goes bye bye. Tired of the centralized nonsense. About to get a hamnet started. Haha. Glad to see you had contact with Wisconsin last night. Pretty dang awesome.

[@mikemcdonald5147]

nice build. I think I would have stuck with used rohn 25. You can usually shop around and find it super cheap. Sometimes free if you take it down.

[@21kiwi24]

Nice! Complete! good work dude.

[@gerowen]

That's awesome man. Let me know how the television antenna works out. I tried mounting my television antenna to the same mast as my CB antenna before but whenever I would key down on my CB, even just barefoot, the television in the living room would cut out, I guess because the two antennas shared a common ground. I thought about using a 16 foot beam on mine, but after using one on a similar pole I set up for my brother at his house I decided to just go with a 12 footer at my house because something about that extra 4 feet at the top made it feel insanely heavy with the antenna and conduit leveraging on it, and I don't have nearly as elaborate a setup as you do. Glad you got it taken care of man, hope to hear you on the airwaves sometime!

[@FarpointFarms]

This thing got out of hand really. I had a vision based on you setup and thought it wouldn't be to heavy since the whole upper part was steel poles. Man, I was wrong! It's up, and that's the important part, but if I ever had to do it again, I wouldn't. Its just to dang heavy. As for the TV antenna, it actually works really well for it's size. The rotor sticks sometimes and you have to tap it, but it picks up a bunch of channels and that makes working out in the garage more fun. However you are right. Mine to will blank out the TV whenever I key down. I guess even at 4 watts it's still overloading the circuits. Take care and thanks for the inspiration!

[@gerowen]

One other lesson I learned is proper bracing. When we set up my brother's we attached it to the eave of his house, without realizing the eaves weren't boxed with 2x4s, it was just quarter inch plywood with some vinyl siding over top of it. He was gone from home once a couple years ago (he's an OTR truck driver) and we got a good snow that accumulated over a foot on his roof. When it started melting and sliding off his roof, it pushed his antenna pole down and when it hit the porch railing it bent the conduit. The antenna was fine and the plate at the bottom kept the bottom end in place, but we ended up re-enforcing his eaves with 2x4s instead and attaching the upright to those.

[@w9x7cv3vg6]

waaayyyyyy up there at 35 feet hihi...i rem doing projects like this when i was a kid before i got into real towers..good going !

[@robertrockwell7581]

i would love to have something like this but i live in a apartment complex and cant. nice job.

[@swampfox5329]

How did you tune the antennas to the radios? Maybe a video about the process?

[@FarmBoy-iv5fm]

I’m new to it and trying to start out with it

[@FarpointFarms]

My only advice is to get going, do what you love and keep uploading!

[@FarmBoy-iv5fm]

Yeah thanks

[@drumminsonlive9199]

I just noticed this video is 2 years old but I will still let you know how it goes...

[@FarpointFarms]

The tower is still doing great!

[@rickkephart5690]

You definitely have the old American "can do" spirit. Not enough of that around anymore.

[@FarpointFarms]

Thanks! I grew up poor, but smart, and that let to being creative. It's a skill set and a mind set that has served me very very well over the years.

[@djsummers855]

So now you've had time with your imax 2000 up how would you compare it to your trusty a99? pro/cons of either one? I am looking to do almost the exact same setup you have and I'm at a fork in the road on what antenna to get. Hope you can give a comparison soon thanks!

[@FarpointFarms]

So the short of it is this. I do get about 1.5 DB more gain out of the MAX2000, but some of that maybe from the increased height as well. The noise floor is also lower, and that really helps when pulling in weak stations, but again, my trusty antron A99 was almost 20 years old, so that might have had something to do with it. Overall I like the new MAX2000 a lot and I hope it lasts as long as the old A99.

[@hartleyhomesteadmichigan6041]

Good job!

[@frankc1430]

Hey Eric, was just wondering the cost of that IMAX 2000. I was checking on copper electronics and they wanted $140 for the antenna and $60 for the ground plane kit. And then they wanted another $100 to ship it. That shipping sounds pretty excessive doesn't it? Does anybody have a good place to buy this antenna without getting soaked for $300?

[@FarpointFarms]

I bought mine for $99 plus $14.00 for shipping from Carid. I didn't get the ground plane kit though. It's been up and working since August and I really like it!

[@reaperct3454]

You should get it up past the trees

[@alfrivero8466]

How many channels are you getting now with all those tall trees in front of antenna😕

[@FarpointFarms]

About 5 main channels, each with 2 or 3 sub-channels. I really only watch two of them, but the trees don't seem to be an issue.

[@alfrivero8466]

@@FarpointFarms☺ ok

[@davidfrazier3641]

Looks great.☺

[@markepperson8482]

Great job!!

[@shalicgraw5280]

Fantastic! I want to live on a farm where I can build a big a** antenna! Cheers kj7er n 73

[@jamesabsher8477]

Hey Erik I was on one of the CB channels the other day. Some guy started talking about giving me this book you know, telling me I have to say these three words exactly right before I take it. Long story short I have the book and I said the words, well maybe not every syllable but I said it. Now there’s an army of undead following me around. You’re an intelligent man, what should I do? Thanks in advance

[@FarpointFarms]

I mean... Maybe not EVERY syllable, but... Klatoo Varatoo... Nickhmhmhmhoo! There, I said it!

[@FarmBoy-iv5fm]

Hey I’m a new subscriber I thought it was neat how me and you both is into kinda the samething as far as what we do on KZbin

[@FarpointFarms]

Welcome to the party!

[@christophersmith1155]

LOOKING FORWARD TO A COMPARISON OF THE A99 AND THE IMAX 2000

[@cabbyhubby]

Just wondering why you didn't use something like a Rohn tower, used towers can be had for around $200 - $300, I bought a used 45' for $100 last year

[@James_Bowie]

I guess Eric's a DIY guy.

[@Videofarming]

Do you also live on top of a hill?

[@lastfanstanding999]

forgot to test it.

[@tonyc.4528]

Whats that two element yagi for?

[@FarpointFarms]

It's a directional 2m antenna.

[@dalethelander3781]

Don't you need to get signal over those trees? I was taught trees attenuate RF. I put my old CB base station antennas up to a height of about 75 feet to clear trees.

[@wvwildlifecam9159]

Will be listening

[@TraderJack641]

Awesome tower! By the way, it's than, not then.

[@FarpointFarms]

I always have a hard time with that one!

[@MobyDave1583]

I am posting this now on Aug 21 2019 is the tower still up? how is it holding out? Dave 9_TC_111

[@James_Bowie]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWG5gZyhppaKa9k

[@randypeterson3313]

Good deal !!!

[@jasoningalls4412]

cool, happy dxing

[@Dallas-Rife-UDX-347-Tennessee]

I’ve done quite a few projects like this on a budget . I have some info and ideas , I don’t do Facebook , do you have an email address ?

[@chs82ndab]

Awesome effort. Unit 733, Iron Mike in Turlock, CA

[@robbsharpe]

Niiiiiiice!

[@sparky42]

your a cb operator for sure

[@someperson7]

Better give some thought to how it's gonna age and how you're gonna take it down... And the shape you'll be in when that needs to happen.

[@FarpointFarms]

I hope to never take it down again until I move to a retirement home. I had to take it up and down 3 times to get it right and it was a HUGE pain, but that was in August and it's been fine since.

[@someperson7]

@@FarpointFarms👍 Hope you treated the heck outta that wood then🙂

[@reaperct3454]

I go by the handle on the radio reaper 667 from houston texas 1 got a triple heavy triple mag mount with a preader 10 k and I'm running a galaxy 33 hml with a 4 pill palomar 400 I can talk 40 miles no lie I run on channel 19 and 21 we do roll call at 8 pm here in houston guy called b.f r he does roll call for Avery around houston and there a guy goes by the name rock man he can hear some of us from other states come and get on 21 and see if you can hear us skip been running hard the last few days reaper 73 out

[@FarpointFarms]

Man, now that sounds like the good old days! We used to have roll call on channel 35 in Wake county here in NC and I loved those days and nights. 40 to 100 people checking in, chatting away and spanning almost every channel to cover all the smaller groups. It lasted right up to about 2003 or so, but quickly faded away after that.

[@DillonOrbon]

@@FarpointFarms What time of days were the roll call in Wake? I'd love to get that ball rolling again. I've seen a few base antennas around town so there are still some people out there with radios!

[@hartleyhomesteadmichigan6041]

Great job!

[@FarpointFarms]

Thanks! I love it so far.