Installing Yaesu G 1000 rotator (tower project part 4)

[@PapasDino]

Oh boy, we're getting close now! Just as an aside did you consider mounting the rotator/mast in the top section on the ground and erecting it assembled? As I recall you didn't have too much trouble walking it up and Yaesu rotators are surprisingly pretty light. 'Course, that's all you need is a Monday morning quarterback! ;-) 73 - Dino KLØS

[@felipefigueroa9449]

Excellent Bill outstanding

[@schoocg]

QUESTION: Your series on the Universal tower setup is great. I have commented on the one you and your wife walked up. They are making a 12-40 for me. Here is the question : do you think if you had installed the rotor , bearing and mast on the top section while it was on the ground…and raised/walked it up with the tower that would had been possible ? Too much weight?

[@StuntProgrammer]

Depends on how hard you want to work, I guess. Either way, I'd recommend having a plan and enough energy in reserve to stop part way and walk it back down if you have to; the mechanical disadvantage increases as you go (nonlinearly? I think...).

[@schoocg]

@@StuntProgrammer great suggestion thank you.

[@RameshwarMohan]

Hi not sure if i missed it anywhere but can u say what brand and height of this tower, do u have a link to the seller ???

[@billhastings1006]

Everyone has their own way of doing this, but after seeing many , many , videos, using a winch and pivot point , you can erect the tower as one. Doing maintenance will be a little easier too. Nice tower!

[@StuntProgrammer]

Thanks! I've seen some very nice winch systems. For anyone looking to design their own: make sure the tower can be hoisted from the point you're planning on without being crushed or bent in a way that would reduce its strength. You might need to pick a different lift point or make modifications to distribute the force appropriately. The engineer who designed the tower can likely provide advice. Or, look for a tower and winch system that are already designed to work together! 😀👍

[@markharlan7000]

It’s a tilt over tower ? Why did you climb it?

[@StuntProgrammer]

It can tilt if you unbolt one leg, but it's not a regular tilt-over with a winch and everything. It gets real hard to lift by hand if you start putting weight on the top.

[@FFdo.]

is there a proper way to install the rotator? after calibration is there a mark to orient that to north?

[@StuntProgrammer]

The rotator can be installed in whatever orientation (rotation-wise) relative to the tower is convenient. The controller has two sets of direction markings (and two ways to install the direction card). Which you use determines where the overlap will fall on the compass (the rotator can turn more than one full rotation). The instruction manual has more information about this. Once you have the rotator and mast installed and have chosen which set of markings to use on the controller, use the controller to point the rotator north (or another convenient direction). Then when you install the antenna on the mast, you can use a magnetic compass to adjust it to point north also. You may wish to compensate for magnetic declination if it is significant at your location.

[@beekeeper8474]

I put my rotor motor where I can get to it with a 5 foot step stoll so I can make repairs and adjust

[@pratwurschtgulasch6662]

very cool! :)

[@ClericChris]

Do you mind answering what the final cost for project?

[@StuntProgrammer]

I think excavator rental was something like $350 and concrete might have been around $500. I did some other work with the excavator while I had it. Current pricing for the other major components (tower, rotator, antenna) should be publicly available from the usual suspects. Everyone's project will be different, of course. I didn't keep a tab on the incidentals like cable, connectors, hardware, and so on. Some stuff I had, some stuff I bought -- usually more than I needed so I'd have some next time... watch out for the "little" stuff like that if you're pricing your own project. It can add up fast.

[@rksg2003]

Why not lower the tower it’s hinged?

[@StuntProgrammer]

Adding weight, especially at the top, makes the tower increasingly difficult to raise by hand. Some folks use a winch secured to a building or to a secondary metal frame. I wanted to learn to climb anyway and figured climbing would be a good way to go for my setup.

[@JDtheEE]

What kind of tower is that?

[@StuntProgrammer]

It's a Universal 9-40

[@slshock]

Why are you climbing an aluminum tilt over tower? Kinda defeats the purpose doesn't it? If you would have positioned the tower so it tilted away, perpendicular, from the side of the house, you wouldn't need to climb it. All the rotor work, antenna, etc, should have been done on the ground then raise the tower up. Oh well, to each his own.

[@StuntProgrammer]

You're not the first commenter to mistake it for a tilt-up tower, but it is not. Also, I enjoy climbing.

[@DynoDieselWagon]

Not good working atmosphere at all . I'd waited for à non wind day . JMO

[@StuntProgrammer]

Hahah, yeah... That wasn't particularly windy for around here. I was just happy it wasn't raining or snowing! 😅