Amateur (Ham) Radio Tower Install Tips

[@PeopleAlreadyDidThis]

Great video. Just a note to anyone unfamiliar with Rohn tower sections, especially who might be looking for used. Rohn 20G is a lightweight section intended for TV antennas. It fits 25G but is built with thinner wall tubing and has less bracing. IIRC, 25G has 8 horizontal braces per joint, spaced about 15 inches; 20G has 7 braces, spaced about 18 inches. You can end up in danger if you inadvertently buy used 20G. It can’t support the same antenna or climbing loads. There’s a lot of it for sale as “ham radio” tower now by people who don’t know the difference, since the demise of analog TV broadcasting. It’s not easy to tell the difference when you see them side by side.

[@bgorveatt]

We have 600' of Rohn 25 and it sits at my friends getting ready to be put up.

[@davidtreibs]

According to specs I have from Rohn, the 25G 10' section has 7 bays @ 15 3/4" each, with 5/16" diameter bar. That's according to drawing # DWG-0523 that I just downloaded from their website in the package for the 25G at 130 mph wind.

[@wramsey2656]

Great job.. After being in the power business for over 30 years as an engineer designing electric substations, transmission, distribution and fiber optic lines i really enjoyed your video. The hot dip galvanizing tells me you are a man of wisdom, we used it extensively as it will last 50 plus years.

[@dougtaylor7724]

One of the best ham videos on KZbin. And I’ve seen several hundred of them. Nice job partner!

[@GhostRider1974]

Wow…really honored you’d say that as I don’t aim to compete with the YT big boys. 73

[@NS0O-EN33ec]

No shortcuts taken, quantity and well engineered job. Well done and I am sure your install will last a lifetime. 73.

[@GhostRider1974]

Thanks for the kind words! 73

[@slkgeothermal]

What a sweet setup you have made here. Great video, I learned a lot. Thank you.

[@mikem5043]

Great tour of your system! Many folks also run the safety cable thru the opening in the turnbuckles. You end up with a figure-8 looped safety that prevents the turnbuckles from loosening.

[@marklowe7431]

Lots of very good information. Thanks. Amazing setup with some really smart safety.

[@terryburge6763]

Jim Dandy installation. Especially like your anchors for getting the cable up off the ground and out of the way. Terry

[@mitchellmoss]

Fantastic video. Great explanation. Thank you for this.

[@kevinmatthews2620]

pretty impressive setup there, i wish i could get my hf beam up 70 ft ,but here in the UK its not quite that easy :( and as i live VERY close to the sea and get multiple cross winds all the time along with the sea air, my 12 m hot dipped tower after 7 yrs is showing signs of wear on the Galv, but i get by , oh to win the lottery and grow a antenna farm :) :)

[@gewglesux]

Love a quality installation.

[@rvscootin3457]

Great Job! 1st Class Setup all the way around!

[@ne2i]

Been to 3 star they are amply stocked with all the tower candy you would want.

[@kasken719]

Glad I built mine when I did. Those section s are almost 300-400 a section now.

[@GhostRider1974]

I found mine used, but very good condition for about $130 / section.

[@MrRicksho]

Great video, very detailed information. However I really thought that with the tilt base you would make some sort of preparation for tilting the tower down. That way u can do antennae maintenance without having to climb. Or during storms.

[@davidvelen9835]

Very nice professional looking installation sir

[@staceyward777]

The safety cable is supposed to go through the turnbuckles so they don't loosen up on their own. And those quick-links should absolutely not be used where you're using them.

[@dalev1319]

Nice older video, was going to comment on the (quick links) not suitable for this use. Good not used on top guy, center guy are very critical, have seen center guy fail and tower folds. Nice install otherwise.

[@paulmiller6534]

@@dalev1319 I agree on not using quick links primarily as they are not hot dip galvanized even though you can purchase them in a size that would meet strength requirements. Hot dip galvanized U or bow shackles would have been a better choice. Had the 3 hole turnbuckle attachment piece been designed with an angle instead of plumb (vertical) the clearance issue on the lower 2 holes that required the extra link would have been averted. Otherwise, a very fine install. And yes, the safety cables are strictly for preventing the cable from "unwinding" as load is applied, which can unscrew the upper attachment rod of the turnbuckle right out of the turnbuckle body. I've watched it happen. And as mentioned in another reply, the safety cable should figure 8 through the cable loop/thimble and the body of the turnbuckle to function properly.

[@seeharvester]

Now _THAT'S_ a quality tower job.

[@BornAgain717]

Very nice, clean set-up! Looks like it'll last you a lifetime. Atleast a good bit of it!

[@Beowulfsurvival]

Awesome installing, what kind of range can you get on 2m with your beams out of curiosity, thanks in advance and 73 KG5AUB

[@GhostRider1974]

Thanks for the kind words! I can generally get 100 miles avg to maybe 150 at times. The A26B2 stacked beams are up about 70 feet or so. 73

[@davidtreibs]

Nice video. I'm wanting to build a Rohn 25G tower from pieces I bought used. I have enough pieces for about 135' including the top part. How do I calculate how many and where to place the brackets, and how far out to place the anchor rods?

[@GhostRider1974]

Look at the Rohn 25G specs on p. 28 of the following link (p. 30 of the PDF). You can see a 130 ft tower layout at the bottom with number of guys and spacing required: www.rohnnet.com/files/2015_Rohn_Full_Catalog.pdf#page=26

[@n9go]

That's cool! Just got my technician and looking forward to doing this one day.

[@rico1319]

I really enjoyed your video and comments. I don’t think I’ve seen a nicer set up for Rohan 25G ever. I have a question though. Do the Alpha Delta surge protectors induce any loss at all?? W5PN

[@GhostRider1974]

Howdy sir, sorry for the late reply. As I understand it, the surge protectors do not induce any appreciable loss.

[@gogeorge7]

I don’t see the actual torque bars. They are about 18 inches long and provide a rigid structure to reduce torque and stop actual twisting. All I see is the attachment for the tower. But looks nice. 73. Is this tower still up and running?

[@GhostRider1974]

The torsion brackets are definitely up there, in all (3) locations where the guys tie in. I’m not a big fan of cables looped directly over the tower legs. The tower is doing great after about 5 years of service!

[@paulmiller6534]

@@GhostRider1974 I have 3 sets of those torque bars on my 5 guy 125' Rohn25 installation. Rohn came out some years ago admitting that they actually offer very little lateral twisting reduction, which pretty much verifies my manual "twist tests" results. Seemed like a great idea but if you wanted your Rohn25 to resist twisting to the degree that a Rohn45 would, you'd need to use Rohn45 to do it. For those that don't use the guy brackets, the proper way to attach the cable to the leg, either preformed guy grips or the cable itself is to route it to include two adjacent bends in the Z bar, giving you more points of contact plus not having the load trying to rip the leg away from the Z bar welds.

[@MrMeasureTwice]

Impressive installation.

[@mario3804]

That’s a beautiful set up, how far have you been able to contact with that set up?

[@GhostRider1974]

Thanks for watching! I believe the farthest contacts so far have been to the west coast of Australia which is about 11,000 miles from my location.

[@richardwright1819]

should have put rotor protection in a box, and not use the braid strap outside in the weather. and also put 90's on your cable pipe to keep water out of conduit. nice install

[@kevinwhitted2147]

Next time use a trap on your coax run like you did on the house then you don't worry about any water in your coax run do it at both ends

[@wb5plj]

Thanks that is very detailed much appreciated. I am curious if and what you have done for a ground for your radio chassis in your shack as you are on a second level?

[@GhostRider1974]

Howdy! I tied the station ground into a main ground terminal the electrician had used for other wiring in the attic.

[@brucewayne-cave]

Amazing Job !

[@CessnaPilot99]

Nice work. How far have you communicated?

[@GhostRider1974]

Amundson-Scott South Pole Station, West Australia, several remote islands, just to name a few!

[@seeharvester]

That stacked beam on top looks like it could reach Uranus. 😱🤣

[@XPFTP]

CV joint boots would work great on the ends of the pipe.

[@laurencegalle4814]

Excellent video, and excellent tower install - Fine Business! Thanks for sharing.

[@kj7element276]

Ah... Someday I will have something like this 😊 😍

[@davep6977]

Nice commercial looking install, W9DLP

[@mr.stonerUDX714]

awesome set up f en perfect!!!!

[@markstump7079]

I wish I had this kind of space. I would have 100 antennas.

[@ralphbailey736]

Over $180 now thanks for the video

[@olivertaylor8788]

I have seen those slip wrap ends slip.i do not trust them..use crimp or clamp ends..for that size tower,@60ft,I only pull 50lb per line...this reduces base weight on the tower....think of the base weight on that base..GLAD it's yours....

[@GhostRider1974]

They will not slip, if used with the proper size and type of EHS wire. I have used them extensively in other applications and the wire will break before the grip connection. They are 100% better than cable clamps. 73

[@beekeeper8474]

Damn the money that went into this got to be nuts!

[@chanceseiler]

Great job.

[@explorer8888]

Outstanding!

[@rameshkuthumbaka3821]

great job '

[@michaelt.9372]

I cross thread my bolts so they don’t come loose.

[@paulhastings3109]

Outstanding looks nice KQ4CD Paul 73

[@glenng.8254]

Thank you!

[@jst245]

Nice tower

[@hartleyhomesteadmichigan6041]

Great job 👍

[@GhostRider1974]

Thank you! 73

[@alvarogaitan2529]

Great job terrific 73 from kb2uew

[@ttteg-tq8ln]

Awesome

[@akepatinagaraju8564]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@d_a.6529]

73 DX!

[@bonniekapischke9003]

It's not a Ron tower it's a Rohn tower Why do southerners call it a RON tower as a retired professional tower erector I'm amazed how hams become authorities on towers when they put up a tower the first time I worked for Stann and Associates for 33 years and a division of the company called Chicago Tower leasing where our smallest tower was 350 feet our biggest was a Bell B series which is 500 feet tall and 8 feet 8 inches on a side so I was fortunate to work on big towers also your safety loops on your turnbuckles should be figure 8 through the center of turnbuckles to avoid tampering . fellow hams be careful when working around towers they can be dangerous I hate hearing about hams that lose their lives when doing tower work. Always remember falling is not an option you should be connect to the tower at all times when climbing utilizing two safety lanyards or monkey tails as they are sometimes called along with approved climbing harnesses not the old fashioned safety belt.

[@ve7cpr7]

Tech you

[@stevenmullens584]

seventy-three

[@kai-kanstrup]

73 , OZ1KAI

[@carlbill9491]

(facebook) amateur radio antennas large and small (all over the world)

[@louie_Da_sax_Guy]

Very Nice, I think I am ready to install my four-section tower. 73 kb2qlq