DIY Ham radio antenna tower hinge plate installation 12-19-18

[@alphasxsignal]

This why I place the base on 1" thread rod and adjusting nuts under a thick plate and then nuts on top of that. Like the do street lights.

[@Doonit_hard_way_since_65]

Around here that is a standard with anything that needs to stay upright and straight. The frost will eventually heave anything without a 6' deep footer. The joys of living in in an area with much ground moisture and lot of cold.

[@WW5RM]

thats to get it level?

[@tylerhall6455]

used to run my own fabrication shop and did small steel erection and this is exactly what I would have done too. In a triangle, with only 3 bolts 3/4 " bolts min, prob 1". I also hate the idea of mounting a bracket to his house. If it was a concrete block wall/garage or icf home etc, then the brackets would be fine but over time your just asking for trouble with the stress on the studs he would anchor to... But glad he is trying to get a tower up, just not the way i would have done it.

[@mikemcdonald5147]

looks like same design I went with. Had a local welding shop make mine for me as I dont have a welder. I have a 72 foot self supporting tower and use a winch to lower and raise the tower. Works well for me. Looks like you got a nice setup there.

[@chetthejet3896]

I would put nuts on the under side of the plate and it would only contact the nuts on the bottom of the plate and stay flat. I would not conform it to the concrete.

[@Mike-bt8ct]

You got a nice place! Great job on the tower 👍

[@kapperoutdoors]

Well its still standing through some serious wind storms! Thanks

[@NoHandleNameScrewTube]

Very nice video thank you for sharing. I acquired the same used tower for $100 6 months ago. Love it.

[@earthenergyhex]

good price

[@bobbybaldeagle702]

Speaking for myself personally I not only use lock washers on something like that but I also spend the money and get a good lock nuts to go on those bolts. That way I'm almost guaranteed they're not coming loose... Be blessed... BBE 👍 👍🤗 🤗🙏🙏

[@muxxor9492]

Kapper instead of mounting to the house, you have that large concrete base, fab up 3 legs supports like 7-8 feet long that attach to the tower like a tripod shape and anchor near the edge of the concrete. That would be plenty strong. Don't want to drill through the siding and mount to the house if you don't need to.

[@kapperoutdoors]

You know I thought of that but just thought that it would not be sturdy enough..... however, I might have to think on it some more, since it is a 'self supported' tower (without a hinge plate on it)... hmmm, you've brought me back to that idea now... thanks.

[@slshock]

Looks like he mounting issue could have been avoided by punching/drilling larger holes in the base plate; for example, 5/8" holes for 1/2" bolts.

[@arkansas1336]

You've got this, all you lack is "just finishing"!!!!!

[@kapperoutdoors]

I know!!! And of course its raining out now!!!!!

[@dontransue9843]

I like the plate system, why is there 6 ft diameter of concrete? Is that just spill off?

[@kapperoutdoors]

I made the concrete base extra large and heavy just to be safe. So far it has survived years with many tornado warnings and straight line winds of up to 80 mph.

[@outcold30]

I would have just drilled a bigger hole and used a big washer. I want a tower for wind generation.

[@ELTHEFEO]

How deep is the concrete and how wide hole?

[@hartleyhomesteadmichigan6041]

Looks good! The level is so close you could just even it up using your brackets mounted to the house

[@raymondaston4796]

where the ground rod for the tower

[@kapperoutdoors]

They are coming.... Not ready for them just yet.

[@raymondaston4796]

ok know when i did my cement base i burried a 8 foot rod on edge of where the my plate went

[@treeclimbing7798]

Cement acts as a good ground, if rods go well into it. Cement maintains a viable moisture content. That’s a way to establish grounding in deserts. There’s a formula to establish ground w enough cement.

[@chuckcurtin]

@@treeclimbing7798 Ground rods are NOT to go into cement but 10' out from the base. A lightning strike would explode the concrete. Check the Rohn website for the engineering drawings and warnings. You also need multiple ground rods.

[@HughzieTube]

Before you shim the base plate on the concrete, Loosen the 6 bolts that hold the tower to the hinge plate and give it a shove in the direction you need it to go.

[@kapperoutdoors]

Give that man a cigar! I like that idea!!! I will try that first, because I really don't like the idea of shims under the nice flat plate, but I'll do what is necessary! Thanks man.

[@MAGAMAN]

It seems like putting a lock washer on top of another washer kind of defeats the purpose of the lock washer.

[@G5Ckxew]

There were several things I could criticize about this video but for me, the part where he used a precision bubble level tool as a concrete screed really took the cake. When someone loans you tools, they're doing you a favor so for me this is the ultimate form of disresect. That is why I NEVER loan out tools.

[@kapperoutdoors]

eh, maybe so, but I don't think so..? As long as the lock washer flattens out I don't think it matters. However, I am sure no pro at this, just trying to make something new happen. But so far after what 3 or more years or so, it has withstood some 50 to 70 ish mph winds! I did have my doubts watching it sway up there, but it is still all good. Thank you.

[@kapperoutdoors]

Well it's all about improvising and learning new things. The important part is this tower has withstood every bad storm and many high winds so far for a few years, so I'll still call that a success. I am a hack when I am learning new things and taking on new challenges but it has worked for me thus far. Thanks.

[@operationrestore3308]

Think 80 feet would work on a hinge plate?

[@kapperoutdoors]

eek, I don't know. You'd have to make some pretty heft support brackets!

[@BoboAthanassion]

I wish you had stated what size and length bolts you used when inserting them in the concrete.

[@XPFTP]

no idea. thought of when i seen video.. is the tower upside down? yep i sure did ask that... iam thinking water flow. as is the water can drain to the outside of the joints. coz more rust in the outside area.. other way with weep holes at bottom. ill go read rohns site see if they say anything on that

[@kapperoutdoors]

Not sure if it would fit together like that because the top obviously has to be the tip, and then from there down it will only fit one way. But from a rust standpoint it makes perfect sense to me.

[@XPFTP]

@@kapperoutdoors dummy me .. i forgot the top... hahahhahah. that iam still tryin to find one for my r25.

[@TAKEONEURBANPRODUCTION]

U didnt show how u lined up base screws and filled in cement ...

[@AvocaSingleTrack]

Why have the base recessed into the concrete like that ? That is where water will lay ...for the entire life of that base !

[@kapperoutdoors]

Has not been a problem at all.

[@carter6167]

Nice work, your focused on the task and your getting closer by the minute.

[@richardbohlingsr3490]

Looking good and it's in a protected place. Your idea for the shim washers should work.

[@kapperoutdoors]

Hope so. I do think that it will decrease stability though as much of the platform won't be pressing a flat, stable surface. We'll see how it goes, thanks.

[@EmilyTienne]

Nice installation. Concrete work looks crude, though.

[@kapperoutdoors]

yeah sure was not perfection but it is very functional! Has withstood many big wind storms so far. Thanks

[@craigmonteforte1478]

Very Impressive build and Install !

[@rico1319]

Looks like you’re on your way but what happened to your concrete form??? 😂

[@kapperoutdoors]

I did not want to invest too much time in trying to make a form, so I just rolled with it :)

[@davidmcgann626]

I have the same base plate. The bolts for anchoring the plate in the concrete come with two nuts. While I'm rebuilding my cement mixer, I'm wondering a couple of things. Do I pour the concrete and push the bolts into it or I'm leaning toward pouring the concrete with the bolts in the plate. I'm also thinking putting a bolt (and washer) under the plate for leveling but the plate wont be resting on the concrete. My next wonder is how big the foundation needs to be. I think the answer would depend on my type of ground, which is above my knowledge level. I'm thinking something like 3X3X3.

[@greglewis8752]

I'm sure you have already erected your tower by now, so this info is for any new people reading this, back in the day I helped my father erect many, many towers, usually 40/45 foot, but on occasion a 50/60 foot tower for TV use. For 45' and less a 3x3x3 foot [1 yard] would hold and self support any tower in the central Illinois climate. Sometimes he would also install eve brackets for better stability. We would plumb a 3 foot base section in the hole then pour the cement around it, allowing 3 days cure time. Then slope the slab away from the legs to help keep water from rusting the legs. Above 45 foot a tower would always get guy wires to ensure it would remain stable. If you check the Rohn website they show excellent data on how to install towers.

[@danbasta3677]

Beautiful!

[@eliseosuarez6469]

Buenas.esas torres son.muy.fáciles.su.montaje..las.conozco..muy libianas.en.que.país.las fabrican....?

[@mandbhomestead]

Looking good Kapper. That is going to be great, thanks for sharing

[@kapperoutdoors]

Thanks man. Lots of work to go yet til I start tipping it up!

[@deltonadoug]

I would sure have done the base alignment with the tower removed, but that's just lazy me.

[@kapperoutdoors]

Well it's still standing and we've had a lot of tornado warnings and straight line winds that I wondered if this tower was coming down! But still standing today! :) Thanks

[@dak682]

did you finish it i would love to see house attachment

[@kapperoutdoors]

I opted to not attach it to the house, but I added the 3 steel leg/feet at the bottom. And It has held for several years now with some pretty nasty wind storms. Thanks

[@ogbigfoot9196]

I got a slab behind my garage and I want put a hinge mount on it. Do I need to find another spot to do like he did?

[@kapperoutdoors]

Any slab would surely help especially if you put additional supports like I did. Good luck!

[@rangepro]

Kapper transmitting to the world!!

[@kapperoutdoors]

My real hidden agenda is that when the SHTF, I can communicate with other alien races to barter for goods.....

[@eosjoe565]

What is the point of the 6 big bolts with giant washers on the base plate when the entire tower is fastened to the hinge plate with only 4 smaller bolts? Those 4 small bolts will shear off long before those big bolts pull themselves through the base plate.

[@kapperoutdoors]

Dang good question! Read a lot of forums asking the same thing!!! Sure wish I didn't have to mess around with the house brackets.... But the hinging will make it much easier to stand up and take down for any repairs..

[@eosjoe565]

@@kapperoutdoors Believe it or not I actually made my own hinged base for my 25G tower. It was 30-feet of tower with 12-feet of pipe sticking out the top onto which I mounted a 5-element HF yagi and a 2-meter yagi. For the base I used 1/2" inch thick plate secured to the concrete with 1-1/4" bolts. For the hinge plate I used another 1/2" thick plate and 3/8" thick angle iron with 3/4" bolts. For the hinge itself instead of bolts I used sections of 1-1/4" black pipe and a 1" solid rod. That baby wasn't going anywhere! Even with a tower this small laying it over on the ground for maintenance was no small feat as once it tilts beyond a certain point the weight became almost too much to handle. I only tilted it over ONCE and after that I rented a bucket truck anytime I needed to work on the antennas. That is one advantage to the tilt-over towers that pivot over one-section above the ground as opposed to ground level. You can lay them over simply by using a base-mounted hand crank.

[@photocontrol]

Coming along great Joe!

[@Hillbillyshakespeare]

How deep are those threaded rods?

[@bonniekapischke9003]

Most hams think they know what they are doing when they put up towers as a retired professional tower erector I'm amazed more of you don't wind up in the hospital or worse the morgue. 32 years with Stann and associates and Chicago Tower leasing Corp. site leasing division.

[@syberphish]

Since you've got so much experience, far more than any of us... maybe you should start making some videos and putting up content so we can learn from you. Just reading how qualified you are doesn't really tell us much.

[@tomw5vlt119]

Don't know how to find people with knowledge... so finding most info on HAM on KZbin. Nothing comes up when searching for "Antenna Install or Service" on Google for example. Nobody really covers 80% of the detail needed to connect the dots unfortunately, but when you watch 50 of them on a topic, you usually can deduce the info needed to connect those dots.

[@houndsmanone4563]

Well, you're getting the tower in the position you need it to be. I'm expecting your call on the ham radio (kidding). I do not have ham radio license nor ham radio knowledge. Nice work Kap. Remember to fix Mrs K's lime-colored level. You never know, Santa may need to bring her a new one. 🎄🎅👍

[@kapperoutdoors]

LOL, she said it "I'll just go get a new one!" Guess I'll have yet another level... Lets see, I've got concrete, wood chips, paint, rustoleum, dents, etc in all of my levels!

[@houndsmanone4563]

Ha. Well at least you'll have a new "pretty" level for Mrs K. Funny, how we have all these tools of our own and darn if we don't seem to end up using the ones we're not supposed to use (smile).

[@jmr]

Looking at the issue with the bolts it occurred to me that if you used a thicker board for the form it might allow the bolts to set in the concrete more true. Doesn't help you but maybe the next guy.

[@firesurfer]

Not necessary, mostly you can just put a short length of conduit or pipe over the stud and whack it with a hammer. (gently) A lot of people just use two nuts to protect the threads.

[@kfourom]

I didn't know that you made an entire series on Ham Radio. Watching them today. Watch out for advise. You only learn by doing. There is a standing joke in ham radio that hams wait for foul weather to do antenna work. Pete K4OM

[@marlofernanpagaduan4457]

How much is the cost of that tower?

[@muthafuhcka]

I got mine for $100 in mn. 30’ rohn 25 with the top pole and the hinged base plate. Neighbor got one for $100 too.

[@cazaugidy9363]

Great job. Can you share the project in drawing? Tank you

[@kapperoutdoors]

Don't have a drawing I bought the hinge plate pretty built. Thanks

[@jerrywatson7176]

I was going to suggest the same thing Hughzie Tube suggested. so instead I will say what would it hurt to have it leaning into the wind? LOL

[@kapperoutdoors]

Well, I'm working my way down the comments, so I see this one first! Yeah, it might be worth less headache to have it tilted! lol

[@kevimc]

nice job you made it look easy

[@kapperoutdoors]

LOL, yeah that's because I didn't have the camera running most of the time! thanks.

[@bobpaterson1845]

Nice video again 🙂 quite an achievement to get the tower base so near perfect well done 💪💪

[@kapperoutdoors]

Thanks, wait til you see my next plan change for it :)

[@alanmeek5234]

Watch the neighbours faces shitting it .priceless ,hi but were legal

[@bkcoutdoors3438]

What’s the point of this radio thing ?

[@kapperoutdoors]

Wow man, too much to explain on one comment! Emergency preparedness, fun, long range, worldwide communications and more..

[@bretts1]

Getting closer Joe to radio time!

[@Azone14]

Awesome series.

[@kapperoutdoors]

Thanks, lets just hope the grand finally is not tipping over the tower!! lol

[@dontransue9843]

You're checking plumb, not level. Fyi.

[@kapperoutdoors]

Yep, you are right. But I am not a builder, lol. Thanks

[@josephatnip2398]

I have a question how come you never see anybody mount a ham radio antenna on top of a telephone pole telephone poles are relatively cheap used

[@lt4324]

My guess would be if the antenna OR pole would get struck by lightning, the pole can either catch fire or actually blow apart in splinters. Like a tree would if hit by lightning. At least that's my opinion.

[@firesurfer]

Telephone poles are heavy as heck. They need large machinery to mount it. It also needs someone who knows what they are doing because it's not obvious. Some of the details are weird.

[@olivertaylor8788]

Good job

[@kapperoutdoors]

Thanks, have a good one

[@SuperUncleRyan]

Did Stevie Wonder pour that concrete?

[@CT1JRZ]

Nice job.

[@Chris_L034]

think i'd run a couple guy wires and straighten it with them.

[@eosjoe565]

You shouldn't over tighten guy wires. They need to be a specific and uniform tension else you risk the whole thing crumbling onto the house roof.

[@Chris_L034]

@@eosjoe565 he's not going very high.

[@eosjoe565]

@@Chris_L034 He said 50 feet

[@finpainter1]

Looks good WD8ODO

[@kapperoutdoors]

Thanks man. I guess that is a real call sign! LOL At first I thought it was one of those prank acronyms :) Thanks man, W9KAP.

[@chetthejet3896]

The two nuts would take the place of the washers. But these are only my ideas and your problem and money. So what ever you do be sure to make it works. Water, ice and wind is not nice to towers.

[@OlympusHeavyCavalry]

Moral of the story; Don't lend this bloke your tools LOL :-)

[@firedude4080]

Why are you working harder than smarter? Take the base plate off of the tower sections.

[@kapperoutdoors]

because I need to level the tower, and take measurements with the tower sections on for bracketing.

[@charlesgannon1164]

plumb not level

[@husky-7017]

Look us up on Facebook.. Amateur radio antennas large and small (all over the world)

[@garyvoigt5090]

Man what shitty planning...lol

[@kapperoutdoors]

Maybe so, but it IS still standing today with many near tornado wind storms.. :)

[@sonidoa.c.g3884]

Too much money

[@michaelnobibux2886]

Please use a plumbob instead of that cheesy spirit level!!

[@WalkerOutdoors]

I think you will be fine by just using the brackets to the house and pulling it back plum you've got it bolted down tight leave it alone you can straighten it with your brackets and I hope Mrs. K doesn't get mad about the level

[@kapperoutdoors]

I'm going to explore a couple of options here... Had some good ideas come in.

[@charlesgannon1164]

plumb not level

[@kapperoutdoors]

lol right! That's why I'm not a professional installer! :)