How to Install a Starlink Tower - No More Obstructions!

[@SilverCymbal]

Please remember to LIKE & SUBSCRIBE - Tools used *Post Hole Digger* amzn.to/3rMZo3X *Level* amzn.to/3CecXOS *Electric Elbow* amzn.to/3efYCJI *Duct Seal* amzn.to/3yri1hG *Makita Drill/Driver* amzn.to/3MkcW0g

[@marvinboggs]

SC: Do you have any arrangements with Bluetti (through Amazon)? I am about to buy the AC300, the B300 and 3 PV200 200W Solar Panels. It's gonna cost about $6,200. If some of that goes to you, I'm a happy man.

[@TrueHelpTV]

If anyone needs a tower climber or advice, reply to me using this comment.

[@saviour7044]

Speed test

[@TrueHelpTV]

@@saviour7044 speed

[@susanthejew6351]

oh yeah this is totally easy to do fucking retard

[@dtierney]

electrical engineer here. not too shabby for a diy home tower. I do recommend running airwire from a lightning rod down to your ground rod. harger has good stuff for this. use aluminum mesh down your tower for weight and cost then transition to coated 4/0. impressive video.

[@nusermane1076]

Definitely add a lighting rod at the top, otherwise the Starlink Dish will do this job, which commonly isn’t considered proper use 🤪 Good video and IMPRESSIVE project nevertheless! 🙂

[@SilverCymbal]

Thank you very much, I will have to check into that, NH gets a lot of lightning storms and I think this could be very useful for me. Thanks!

[@robest334]

Are lightning arrestors expensive?

[@techytrendysolutions6063]

Make video tutorial?

[@dtierney]

@@robest334 good call. Times microwave or polyphaser are reputable brands and can cost up to 100 bucks. Depends on the model. Another layer of protection for rf

[@jimturpin]

In my younger years I installed quite a few towers, you did fine. Only thing I would have done differently is bring the cable into the building up high, right under the eaves instead of near the ground where small children or pets could step on it or run into it. Also, here is a tip for putting in grounding rods far easier than hammering it in. Forget the hammer and use just a little water, only takes about a half a gallon. Pour a little bit of the water on the ground, then push and pull the ground rod up and down in that spot. As the rod goes down, keep adding a little water down in the hole as you go. Each time you pull it up the vacuum dislodges the dirt under the bottom end, literally sucking the dirt up and out of the way and allowing you to push it down further. If you had done it this way you would have put all the way down in ground about a minute or two and never broke a sweat. Cheers!

[@REVNUMANEWBERN]

THANKS for your input, I have the Turpin name in my family tree, from N.C.

[@GetMeThere1]

It's amazing what a little water can do! I was told how to do this by an electrician -- the difference was AMAZING vs pounding. He said to use hot water, though, and, it worked fine.

[@jimturpin]

@@GetMeThere1 I learned the hard way, something of a rite of passage the old guys pulled on the young guys, back when I started in 2-way radio in 80's. One morning I was given a pile of 6 foot ground rods and heavy grounding wire to install around the perimeter of a building and tower by the boss and shop manager, both of them were grinning a lot, and neither of them said anything when I loaded up and threw a sledge hammer in the truck. I had no idea they were pulling a prank on me. The ground was very hard, and I never had the best eye hand coordination, and over the course of the morning snapped off the heads of two sledgehammers by missing and hitting the wooden part with the ground rods damaging them. When I asked for money to pick up another hammer at the hardware store the shop manager finally let me in on the secret, to use water and install them "hydraulically". I was totally blown away how simple and fast they went in, and yeah I was annoyed at them, but it was a lesson well learned.

[@acidreign0911]

i was thinking the same, also at his location he should consider an ice bridge for the cable.

[@pearlrival3124]

guy wires every 10 feet beyond the peak of the garage.

[@timbrwolf1121]

Dude who delivered the equipment was an absolute PRO. That was worth a video in itself.

[@gregktm]

Is this a joke? He didn't include a harness.

[@timbrwolf1121]

@@gregktm Talking about the guy who delivered the rental man lift

[@gregktm]

Yes. He could barely drive it.

[@twocansams6335]

Great build man, FYI from someone who works in construction and at heights when you climb that tower please use a harness with a lanyard that you can clip onto the tower encase you slip and always clip on the vertical section encase one or two of the supports break when falling.

[@mikefeddersen2476]

My dad installed one of these antennas nearly 50 years ago, at the bottom he had a concrete base too. But he had installed a hinge setup with the flat side of the triangle facing away from the house. Then he used his loader on a tractor to raise and lower the antenna. The mount was for a CB antenna with a Footwarmer brand amplifier and a TV antenna. We learned a lesson on proper grounding when the big stick antenna got hit by lightning ⚡. The upper brace needs it's own grounding wire, as on ours the lightning went through the wall in the upstairs bathroom to some fancy metallic and felt wallpaper.

[@dhansel4835]

What you should have done is get a base plate to sit the tower on . Just putting the tower in the ground will eventually cause the tower to react with the concrete. Concrete is corrosive and will eat into the tower. You needed to paint or spray a tar-like substance on the tower that is going into the hole. Let this tarlike material set up for at least 24 hours then put the tower section in. I used rebar in the hole to strengthen up the concrete. Rebar is cheap and it will add strength to the tower. When climbing a tower be sure to use good pair of work shoes. No sandals or tennis shoes. Also wear a safety belt. An accident can happen in a split second and a fall from 10' can be fatal.

[@N4CR]

Be aware of wind loading on those smaller towers as you attach more surface area to it ;)

[@XA-JJKILLERs]

Its in trees so that will help a lot

[@P_RO_]

Some of the following has been mentioned by others, so please read the comments for details. First, all grounds should be bonded and one rod isn't enough. Use 3 in a triangle ~6 ft. apart with no breaks in the conductor. Use solid metal rods, not copper-plated ones. Second, secure the cable along a tower leg ~3ft apart using 5+ wraps of high-quality electrical tape. Third, use two of this at eaves level to enter the house and leave a 'drip loop' to resist water ingression. Fourth, every bit of the tower going into the concrete should be fully de-rusted, primed, and painted including inside the tubes; don't nick the paint during the install. Best to repaint the whole tower and touch-up as needed after the install (paint the hardware too and paint after the ground has been run). Fifth maybe should be first, but before you plan on a location check your homeowners insurance, as you may be voiding your policy doing this in any manner they don't approve of. Towers can be classified as an "attractive nuisance" legally meaning you must protect them against unauthorized access. Children love to climb and you're still liable if an adult trespasser climbs and falls. Wrapping the base with well-secured chicken wire, pigpen wire, or chain link fencing to a height of ~8ft (or a high fence works) and lock up any ladders someone might grab to bypass this. Sixth, don't go adding taught guy wires to free-standing towers; if you think they're needed, think of them as a 'safety device' only as they present a load which has not been allowed for in the tower design. Seventh, always consider possible tower failure and what it can affect; if it falls outside of your property you're liable for all damages and your insurance may not help. Eighth, consider having a disconnectble plug/socket you can access inside your house for added lightning protection af all wires/cables/coax coming from the tower, and don't have any security or computer electronics near that spot. Ninth probably won't apply to you but be sure you're not violating any building codes or HOA restrictions. Tenth, if you add anything else to the tower run those cables on a different tower leg to prevent inductive interference. Towers are beautiful and very useful when everything is right, but can be your worst nightmare if things aren't right, so don't cheat yourself- do it right.

[@NithinJune]

Very informative! thank you!

[@erichimes3062]

If the tower tubes are ferrous metal, I’d use FluidFilm on a 360° spray pattern wand to coat the interior after the outer surface is protected

[@Noone-jn3jp]

Question from the back 🤚 You said "Solid metal rod", Do you mean solid copper?

[@redspectrenine9632]

I was literally about to say add a drip loop, but this comment has it covered.

[@larsvongraff5794]

Did these for Ericsson in the early eighties. You are dead on. Whenever stranded copper touché a connector it got silver solder. Another team did the tower planting but the way you describe is accurate. Seems like almost 50 years later it would somehow be easier

[@ChrisJones-fn6tw]

Interesting. I don't live in a rural area or use Starlink, nor am I good with any kind of building, yet here I am watching this well-done video.

[@Jay_the_Caffeinator]

This reminds me of the TV antenna we had at my childhood home. I think it was the same height. It was great access to the roof. AND THANK YOU for reminding people about the safety needs.

[@AlexApol]

Neat install. I have installed about a dozen of these towers in Michigan. Rohn makes a flat steel base to set on top of concrete, I like installing the tower on top of a pad so when the tower eventually gets old, you can simply replace the tower without removing 1200lbs of concrete.

[@geod3589]

Last tower I put up, I also rented a bucket similar to what you rented. I help a friend put up some Rohn 25G and he put 50-feet together on the ground, and then used a small crane to just pick it up and set in on the base. One, nit.. you were not wearing a safety belt/harness when you were both climbing and in the lift. Even being in the lift you need to wear a safety belt.

[@REVNUMANEWBERN]

I'm surprised the renter didn't tell him

[@dylandrouin3085]

It’s only required per osha, so as he’s doing this himself it’s a non issue. As far as safety goes 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@bradmad8346]

The safety harness is a must, unless you enjoy pain or death. And you get both hands free to work.

[@hg2.]

Yes, even more impressive is the size of this guy's trust fund.

[@peterpiper_203]

@@dylandrouin3085 SMH

[@soysauce73]

Thank you for this! I have strained my brain trying to figure out the best way to elevate the Starlink dish and I came across your video! Thank you thank you thank you!

[@sdmay1980]

Love the tower! Rules lol you climb it just fine. Great job getting rid of the rust. I love the setup.

[@RayleighCriterion]

A proper Rohn 25G tower base plate with threaded rod would allow you to use less concrete and you wouldn't have to dig such a deep hole, and the tower would be higher up, giving you a better signal.

[@Wingnut353]

Thats the thing though... concrete and holes are not the expensive part of such a build.

[@bluyetiinc7553]

I was thinking the same. How deep a hole would you recommend?

[@RayleighCriterion]

@@bluyetiinc7553 Depends on the tower size, Rohn gives the minimum concrete needed for a free standing tower, for the 25G it's 2.4 cubic yards of concrete. The installation instructions give the necessary sizes and specs.

[@bluyetiinc7553]

@@RayleighCriterion i just got hold of a sixty foot tower. Did you find this info on ther web site?

[@markshropshire5995]

I’ve been in this business for 30 years , I have stacked 1000s of feet of that model some of them up to 220 feet.you did great, only flaw was the zip ties. Just use electrical tape five wraps.

[@10p6]

Great video. The only thing I would add is, since towers are made of different materials, just check for 'Dissimilar' metals when using bolts and so on which come into contact with the tower frame, especially if you plan on it being up for a long time and doing little to no maintenance.

[@graciebonsai7272]

Hi, Just a word of caution. As installed, the hollow legs will eventually fill with water. When the water freezes the legs can split above and below grade.

[@robertcranwell7847]

It's suppose to be a concrete pad with bolts buried in the concrete= usually j-bolts then the tower is bolted to that. He completely screwed up burying the bottom of the tower in concrete.

[@graciebonsai7272]

@@robertcranwell7847 Yes indeed! Typically a base plate is used to do just that. After having been in the wireless cable TV industry for 10 years I've seen my share of incorrect ROHN 25G installations and the resultant premature structural failures. Stay safe!

[@graciebonsai7272]

@@robertcranwell7847 Also, to prevent kids from climbing them the lowest section of the tower used anti-climb steel panels attached as a secondary means of deterrence. A perimeter fence was the primary means of deterrence. But when I was a kid it would have been a challenge to overcome both!

[@wallacegrommet9343]

I bet you have! Real men don’t read instructions….

[@moldoveanu8]

@@robertcranwell7847 let's say J bolts are strong enough to hold the tower down during a storm and not crack the concrete. How would you connect them to the tower base? Probably need to make some makeshift adapter with some eye loops for the J bolts to tighten a nut on them. For what it's worth. He could've done worse I guess. I would have probably epoxy coated or filled the interior of the first tower section before slamming it into the hole and filling with concrete. And probably coated the outside with epoxy too after removing any rust spots. But I'd only do that for the bottom part. That should last a lifetime.

[@Awol991]

You can do the base with bolts into the concrete using a tower footing element. Even get a hinged base plate so the tower can be assembled on the ground then raised.

[@johnwetmore1527]

Bonding your tower to the master house (utility company) ground is something you should do. Without bonding all grounds together a lightning strike nearby can yield a difference in voltage potential between individual grounds and destroy equipment. Nice job on the tower! I have a few myself around my property with my highest being 125 feet.

[@DingleFlop]

The tower ground is not an equipment ground.

[@bigguyprepper]

If I remember right, article 800 or 825 of the national electric code requires the ground rod at the tower to be bonded to the main equipment ground in your first disconnect

[@guytech7310]

If you got any substantial voltage difference its going to fry the equipment anyway. For my tower (60 ft) I have two grounds, one for the tower and a seperate for the equipment (mounted in a equipment box next to the tower). all of the cables are protected with either lightning arrestors or surge protectors. If the tower gets a direct lightening hit, its going to fry all of the equipment regardless of lightening\surge protection.

[@VivekGangwar02]

@@guytech7310 can you guyz please explain this phenomenon in short? How does a lightning strike at some other place can affect the ground you made at your place? I'm from India and these technicalities are not very common here. ThankYou

[@guytech7310]

@@VivekGangwar02 when the lightening hits the ground it raises the ground potential for a short instance, as earth ground is only about 6 ohms. if the strike is close to the building grounding rod, the building ground can have a higher voltage potential and will seek a path to a lower voltage potential. At the transformer there is another ground that can have a lower potential than your buildings ground.

[@matthewdetmers]

I would consider adding optical coupling on the ethernet. A lightning strike may zap any devices directly connected to it. Very insightful install, thank you for sharing!

[@jamesgranger8410]

That was so interesting I just went over my 10 minute break at work listening to it!

[@bennym1956]

Great video, my son is still waiting on his Starlink after 1.5 years !!!

[@TheJoehendrix1]

Thanks for posting. Plan to start starlink service next summer. In a wooded area and was wondering how to get past the trees. Glad our old TV antenna can be re-purposed.

[@augustandmore131]

One of the most cool and entertaining videos I have watched in awhile!

[@bobo-wf1jv]

I worked my way through college installing antennas, I've always felt that a neat tower is so much nicer than something sitting on the shingles.

[@randoir1863]

This was a fun video to watch !!!!! You thoroughly described and showed each step as you went along and had the results to show how it all worked . The only thing I saw in the video that was of any concern to me was that you were not wearing a safety harness to attach you to the carriage of the machine while you were elevated . Keep up the great work !!!

[@melissaholley6088]

Best DIY channel on KZbin. Good video and clear explanations. Thanks for the info.

[@StarKnight619]

great idea and one I plan to use in the future only difference is that I wouldn't have put the tower in the concrete. I would have made maybe a 2x2x4 (or maybe 2x2x3) block and used heavy duty wedged anchors on it, to really bolt it down. The reason being is that no matter what rust will become a issue and servicing the tower every few years is a real thing. I was recently cleared to be a tower climber and they told us to ALWAYS inspect the tower for ANY and all damage as well as rust in key areas. still though a co-worker thought of doing the same thing.

[@dragonslayer7587]

This is a great idea for me in the Blue Ridge. With Dish I'm losing signal constantly. {can't even watch TV most of the time. My kids bought a digital TV antenna for the motor home, but I connected to the facia and get a better signal than I do with Dish. Having this tower means I can also load it up with other things I want. THANKS so much for sharing!

[@SilverCymbal]

Much appreciated. I think this will be a great long term thing for us, I doubt we will see any other cable services so for Starlink and TV this should be a big help and future stuff. Glad you found it helpful.

[@ggebhard1]

You make everything look possible! Because it is!

[@lee-mac]

I find your videos so interesting! You'd make installing a screw into drywall interesting. Hope you enjoyed your move from MA to NH, loads more room than down here!

[@SilverCymbal]

Very nice of you to say, I really appreciate it

[@mickeymallette2663]

@@SilverCymbal trying to figure out why you still keep the Star Link after watching your other video on the cellular based system

[@SilverCymbal]

@@mickeymallette2663 Good question, I do it for redundancy. There is always a chance one will be out and in my old house I paid $230 to Verizon with TV. Here with Starlink, TMobile and KZbin TV my total is $220. Our internet is our phone too, so the redundance for my job and of course youtube too is important to make sure I can get online.

[@mickeymallette2663]

@@SilverCymbal thank you for taking the time to respond! I live in a rural area, but not as isolated as you. I have I tenet options, but nothing like the speeds you were getting with the cellular box and antenna in your other video. If you had to choose one, which do you think you’d lean towards? The assembly doesn’t bother me. I just need to see what cell towers are close to me.

[@tigeril5418]

Wow, it's beautiful where you are. Thanks for sharing this info.

[@MIKES0029]

This guy has the life I want!!

[@j.6478]

Thanks bro! You gave out more information that I didn’t know like cell phone boosters.

[@curtisemery807]

Brilliant effort. Especially on your own (plus the odd machine or two). Congratulations from Australia.

[@AutodidactEngineer]

Honestly I would get a couple more of those tower sections and install them to the point where the tower sits proud over all the vegetation. Absolutely loved the video cheers btw!

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

I added a wx station and a ethernet cable ptz camera, which is great for surveying the yard and checking the sky for weather. I also have an SkyAware ADS-B antenna for seeing the air traffic for 200m radius.

[@ArkLord001]

I used to install 35 foot tower antenna's like this and we would assemble the entire tower on the ground and hoist it into place and secure it to the structure (House, garage, etc) and set the base in place with Concrete as it was easier and much faster than trying to put each section on up in the air.

[@tedkay1048]

you said exactly what I was thinking while watching him piece the tower together like leggos. he had fun with big boy equipment, yes? and a rental co got free publicity.

[@ralphwoodard609]

Just want to say enjoyed watching your video and it’s very easy to follow what you did. Thanks.

[@segredosdotiosam9989]

Nice job. The only thing I would do differently would be to bring the cable through a conduit at the same height as the brace. That way, the cable would not be exposed close to the ground.

[@ricknelson947]

You did a pretty great job. I have nothing to really criticize. Yeah there are things I would do differently, but I’m a perfectionist that have built 100 plus of these towers. I would like to recommend putting a small form at the base and bring the concrete a couple of inches above grade. Otherwise ground moisture will stay by the legs and promote localized rusting. I learned that the hard way. Concerning grounding. Your ground wire from the tower to the rod has two 90 degree turns in it. To a billion volts those 90 degree turns are basically transformers. I suggest connecting the ground higher on the tower and bringing the wire down to the rod at a diagonal. It’s not as pretty, but it will be better protection.

[@SilverCymbal]

I appreciate the feedback on this and I am going to add that concrete collar to it, I totally agree. I will also look into your grounding ideas too. Thanks for the feedback!

[@drteletubby]

Would love to see a follow up with how this compares to your previous booster setup with T-mobile!

[@SilverCymbal]

As shown in my other video the TMobile is still the fastest for me. It is such a great deal for $55/mo, unbeatable really. My Starlink will be used by my kids and family and also act as a backup for me in case of a TMobile outage, for work I really the backup so this way we can use both of them.

[@drteletubby]

@@SilverCymbal Best of both worlds. Thanks!

[@uoobwatcher]

I’m a ham radio enthusiast and have put up and taken down several towers. I use a gin pole and tower specific tools. But since I’m getting older…a bucket lift is definitely beneficial.

[@krr711]

You lost four feet dry by dropping it in the hole. Now it will get water in it and split. I watched my father make this mistake when I was a child back in the 1960’s. Best to you!

[@GurdevSethi]

Be sure to factor in snow and ice shed from the roof. May push on the tower and will for sure push on the wire. Nice video and good luck

[@esmokah]

I have had to fix so many telephone lines due to this and minnesota winters. It was common on mobile homes where the demarc was on a post next to the mobile home and the wire was suspended above ground a foot or two.

[@CGreciful]

Nice! I got a ROHN tower just like this, but I tried it on my roof and zero service issues so now I just a have a functionless pretty tower ha.

[@ericneumann8509]

I used that tower set up for a ladder boom, for painting inside the Watertowers. To connect the pieces together I would use grade 8 bolts.

[@mattw4211]

That looks great! I’d recommend you put a lightning rod on the top of your tower, just so that lightning strikes the rod, and not your expensive starling dish. Just make sure the rod is higher up than the starling dish!

[@stargazer7644]

If lightning actually hits that rod, the starlink dish is guaranteed to be toast anyway, along with everything in the house it is connected to.

[@Rickmakes]

My in-laws rented a boom trailer and we trimmed trees and four different properties. It saved thousands of dollars.

[@SilverCymbal]

Thats awesome. I am disappointed that this was the first time I ever got one of these. Some projects I paid others for only because I hate tall ladders could have been done way cheaper like you described. A little scary at first but good stuff once you get used to it.

[@AuthenTech]

Beautiful property! 🍂

[@tfrench4366]

Great video. While I will never need that, it's fun to watch you do it. Who knows down the road someone I know might need to know. Now I know.

[@Handyman247llc]

I have built many tower in my youth, I have a 30 ft Rohn 25 tower with a 20ft center mass that holds my punny digital antenna (massive overkill for that antenna, but excellent reception. I wanted to address your method of cementing it in place as I have the same setup attached to house via horizontal mounting bracket to gable end of house. I only needed 6 bags of concrete and 3- 6ft re-reod s to anchor inside the female ends of the base section. I did this for two reasons. 1. it offers excellent support, while making it easy to replace if damage in a storm. 2. when we sell the tower comes down I only have 3 rods to cut flush with cement pad . My grounding rods are placed 6" and 18 " from the pad. redundant in case a bad connection or lightning strike. Nice how to video enjoyed your step by step process.

[@mrmotofy]

Sounds like you set rerod in then set tower on top of cement...not a sturdy connection/base for tower

[@Handyman247llc]

@@mrmotofy The tower doesn't wiggle and has been standing for 12 years. It was a very tight fit to get the bottom section over the re-rod posts, I can not imaging them coming off very easy. nevertheless it works no matter which way its done.

[@billwaters6815]

Amazing how similar our circumstances are -cabin in the woods, Kubota tractor and RTV, and the rural internet woes. Have prewired cabin and barndominium, and will fire up the panel antenna/hotspot router right away. Am also on waiting list for Starlink. I’ll need a tower if I use Starlink. Since your speeds were so good with hotspot setup, why did you then add Starlink? Thanks for the great work. Bill I suspect the answer to my question is the throttling inherent to cell plans. Unless you have a business plan, cell plans will not allow for adequate Gb for high-def tv/video.

[@DivingForAnswers]

Check with your local FAA office you may be required to add navigation lights to the top of the tower if its above a certain height or with in a certain range from the nearest airport

[@qw-]

probably not, it's not taller than the trees. but checking is always good

[@billbrown1476]

200 Feet of tower is the point where the FAA requires lighting. You can get this information directly from Rohn.

[@matheuspcsa]

The installation was very well done! The idea of using conduit afterwards will be good too! Congratulations on the video

[@blackIce504]

Hi mate i notice allot of people have given some info on tower install, so here is another and yes all where good advice, when you did the concrete i would have put reo in the concrete and had 3 reo bars sticking up using the tower as the form also i would have had the concrete higher then the ground so water does not pool on top of the foundation and beveled the edge of the concrete to ensure water will just run off I would have done this way so that A) you final height will be higher. B) water will never be allowed to pool on the foundation C) can be removed or taken down for what ever reason or even relocated. D) The Galvanized metal has zero contact with the concrete and i am surprised that the concrete place did not inform you on this. Galvanized steel and concrete make rust and its allot faster due to the chemical reaction between the two. E) Jim Stated another good point since your next to the building i would have made the connection higher still filled in the gaps with that putty stuff but mainly as the run will be shorter and no one can reach easily and rodents don't chew there way in. The good news, because you did buy such a tower later if your worried or just want to eliminate those extra obstructions you can just buy another section and it will be find that extra height maybe all you need hell you could even go two more sections without guides as your surrounded by tree's so i do not think wind will be an issue. Cool project.

[@BretBerger]

Reo? Kangaroo bones?

[@PhG1961]

Nice job ! Btw, those antenna poles/radio towers need tension cables to secure them during high winds. I've installed many of these, trust me...

[@mrmotofy]

Not that small with a brace to house

[@PhG1961]

@@mrmotofy That depends on the top load. I've seen cases where the small size (2 elements of each 6m/20ft) didn't hold.

[@jimb8601]

Any thoughts on installing an ADS-B antenna? You could probably track airplanes well over 200 miles away with that height.

[@SilverCymbal]

I had to look that one up since I have never heard of that. But that does look very interesting! Thanks for sharing this I will definitely look into that, as that sounds very cool!

[@terryt2910]

I got a ham tower from my father-in-law when he moved. I put the first two sections into the hole connected together. The next two I put up one at a time with a gin pole I made. It was kind of scary putting heavy sections together at 30 feet, but what an ego boost I got when it was done and working. That was 30nyears ago and instill use it. Starlink is next.

[@mackfisher4487]

Great how-to video, and certainly if you got your tower for free renting a mechanical lift is not out of most people's budget. If money is the bottom line consider a tilting tower base plate then one can winch the tower into place also the house bracket will allow one to go 30 feet above the bracket without guy wires. With taller towers the use of the gin pole either homemade or rented is how the tower companies do it there are other KZbin videos showing the use of the gin pole. Rohn style tower using a Gin Pole

[@joeglennaz]

Great job I’m impressed. I couldn’t even imagine. Trying to do something like that myself. But I’m not very handy. I’d love to sell my house in Phoenix and maybe sell my rental property and buy something kind of on the outskirts in an area like you are and get it set up so it works totally off grid the solar have some big antennas like that ham radio options, etc. I love you videos. Thank you.

[@Devil914]

Starlink is often used for security and fire panels. I would only know this because, I monitor them. I just learned what a Starlink is because of this video lol.

[@GuyAnthonyDeMarco]

I would also suggest you contact your local ham radio club. You can sometimes get some tower folks to assist or you can borrow tools like a gin pole (for lifting sections). I'd also highly recommend you get a tilting base section so you don't have to climb the tower in the winter.

[@wdsracer]

You should get your ham radio license. It’s a great hobby. Now you have a antenna tower.

[@wenzhong5981]

The setting is beautiful

[@joemacdonald6312]

Awesome video! Very informative, helpful, and easy to follow along, great job!!

[@SilverCymbal]

Thank you very much

[@user-em6ie2be7x]

Bet that tower would look sweet with a Windmill. 🤣

[@SilverCymbal]

I agree, I am looking at some of them, even a small one would be awesome to try out.

[@scratchpad7954]

@@SilverCymbal I agree completely, even if the windmill is small enough to only be able to power your Starlink satellite antenna. However, to be completely safe, I would want a windmill with no less than 50 kW of generating capacity to be able to safely power my house.

[@jcmartinez7527]

It's a wind turbine if it's making electricity. A wind mill is used as a mechanical force to turn something 👍

[@ONERR4RF]

Psh psh feel good psh psh feel good

[@doodlebug6833]

I personally like vertical wind turbines with the helical blade set up. Higher efficiency than standard 3 blade, significantly smaller, and you can stack them on each other. Also advertised to be quieter as well.

[@n202ny]

Are you worried about corrosion due to the concrete touching the metal?

[@SilverCymbal]

Yes, I definitely was but the manufacturer supports this type of install and the metal is incredibly thick so hopefully it will remain in good shape but its important to check these regularly for structural integrity,

[@robertcranwell7847]

@@SilverCymbal You are supposed to use a tower base plate. Not bury it in concrete.

[@SilverCymbal]

@@robertcranwell7847 If you check with Rohn you will see that is not true. They sell several kits to use it just as shown. You can use a base plat, folding plate or direct burial all per their guidelines.

[@BrianPhillipsRC]

Awesome video!

[@bps3374]

Nice location & Nice Work 👏👍

[@dontransue9843]

I recommend fabricating a base plate with at least 3 screws to allow you to take the antenna off and put back on. I also would stay away from pour in the ground concrete; they don't consolidate as well as mix designs made and then shoveled in. Where can I find a Rohn 25?

[@markmonse5285]

Great video, and I'm planning to do the same thing, and for the same reasons (TV, VHF, cell booster, windmill) in addition to getting my Starlink antenna higher to clear obstructions. My regs here mandate anything higher than 60ft tall has to have guy wires, with the exception that if secured to a building it can be 65ft tall.

[@guytech7310]

I believe most states & counties restrict towers to 60 feet without a permit or a license.

[@markmonse5285]

Your 60 and 65 foot requirements are indeed the case in Texas..

[@RalphWalton]

Used the same tower in the Army. I climbed it SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many times. LOL

[@davidnjuguna9477]

I get excited at the prospect of having a lift at my disposal for a day (or a lifetime) Having the right equipment to make work easier is such an incentive to getting work done. Do you need to install any aviation lights to the tower in case of low flying aircraft in your area, if any?

[@GarretL757]

great stuff, Starlink is a gamechanger!

[@mueckenhoeffer]

Thanks for posting. Very informative video.

[@xXRedTheDragonXx]

Wow! Amazing tower install! My only suggestion would be for extra stuff to add to the tower, like a CB antenna and/or a VHF/UHF antenna (If you've got your ham ticket or are into scanners of course)!

[@vladislavkaras491]

Cool project! Thanks for the video!

[@gandl2123]

Cool video. What's the chance of routing the home cable under the ground to a nearby tree. Climb trr to top, cut off 4-6 in tip of tree, remove all surrounding limbs leaving vertical stump mount your antenna and climb down having used a stable tree as your tower. Possible?

[@travischristie]

great video. interested in the download/upload speeds you're getting now, and if they vary throughout the day.

[@SilverCymbal]

Thank you, It varies but I am seeing 120-200meg down and 12-20 up

[@0000x0000referenced]

RF guy here. Did you perform an earth-ground test before installing the lightning rods? This is something I've always done in my career when we would deploy comms systems that were meant for long term usage(and couldn't afford to lose)

[@marvinboggs]

Nice, SC. Now level with us: Did you use a stunt-double to climb that thing?

[@SilverCymbal]

I wish! My first trip up was pretty frightening. For me, I kept thinking the lift would fail, once I realized that wouldn't happen, things were much better. If you can group some tasks together the lift is a great thing to rent.

[@MrRvalentin]

Thanks for sharing work tips. Is that door used anymore ? Since his opening is blocked by the tower....

[@SilverCymbal]

Thank you. no I screwed it closed and studded the inside as I needed wall space. They used to keep animals here so it was handy for them to walk in and out.

[@turbo8433]

Got same issue with mine out rural. Massive outages and ping spikes. But my map isnt as bad as yours at start. Thought of doing the same. .

[@bluyetiinc7553]

Hi there, thank you for the really informative video. Could you let me know where you got the brace you got which would braced against your shed?

[@theduckscp]

I still need to move mine. When I installed it completely forgot it flipped so I originally mounted it in a way that I thought would give it good clearance to the sky but instead, it flipped to face the mountains behind my house. It works but can be annoying. I really am putting it off though...

[@mikeeeeee555]

What speeds were you getting before/after rigging the tower? Also what about your original plan for T-Mobile 5g ?

[@SilverCymbal]

The speeds are mostly the same *except* when Starlink is obstructed you get constant interruptions, as though someone unplugs your cable which makes the throughput unusable. You can't even finish most speed tests. Once the height of the tower got me a clear view I am seeing between 80-160meg down and around 10 up on average

[@mikeeeeee555]

Where I NH are you? You can now get fiber from FINIUM in most locations.

[@robertthomas5906]

@@SilverCymbal I was thinking of doing the T-mobile option. Did you run into problems or this is a better deal? Seems like a lot of trouble if T-mobile was working out.

[@davealmighty9638]

I like how you said follow all safety guidelines, and immediately go up in the lift with no harness. 😂

[@SilverCymbal]

You just couldn't see it 😏

[@GeorgeNjero]

Great job. How’s the sand point well any updates.

[@SilverCymbal]

I haven't one one yet at my new place, but that grounding rod was a lot easier than driving in the well, but I used the same sledgehammer for both,

[@jasonervoes1326]

Awesome Job Sir Do you have the video of you installing the rest of those antennaes?

[@briancnc]

That's awesome, nice work! Does it auto align itself, I could swear it was rotating in one of your views just after you mounted it.

[@SilverCymbal]

Thank you! Yes, unlike old satellite dishes this will align itself both directionally and the angle. This alone was a huge advancement over any other satellite providers

[@BikesBobbers]

yes, it actively follows the closest satellite in its orbit. it's also heated to melt snow buildup

[@freechurros]

@@BikesBobbers damn!

[@harvey66616]

@@BikesBobbers _"it actively follows the closest satellite in its orbit"_ -- to be clear, once it aligns itself, it does _not_ physically move to track satellites. Instead, it uses a phased-array antenna to direct the beam where it needs to go. The motorized self-alignment action happens only when the antenna is first powered on.

[@la7dfa]

@@harvey66616 I bet they will come with antennas without those actuators in the future. Once they get the constellation up, it can track 110 degrees with the electronic beamforming.

[@court2379]

Doubt it will ever come up again, but maybe for others. You can use a gin pole to raise the next section. Basically you take a long pipe and attach a pulley to one end. Then you strap that pole to the side of your tower so that it extends a bit beyond the length of the next tower section above the existing tower. Using a rope thru the pulley you hoist the next tower section up from the ground. This is best done with two people, one at the top of the tower and one hoisting, and that way the section of tower on the rope is never over anyone's head. Done alone you have to hoist and tie it off and climb under it. Also alone you don't have the ability to lower it into place so would have to leave it a little low and lift it that last few inches. After you install the next section, you unstrap your gin pole and move it up one section to do it again.

[@Ireland00001]

I've a question about the starlink and the pipe adapter. For the cable that connects your Starlink to the box in the house, is the cable in the pipe adapter or did you let it out over the adapter?

[@matheuspcsa]

I loved the video! But I wanted to make an observation, this instant concrete needs a lot of water to solidify, the recording seems that you used little I think, if I'm not mistaken is 1 gallon per bag

[@darrellgrant7615]

I just can’t believe you didn’t wear a harness while in the lift. Years ago when I used one of those I was always double hooked. I’m terrified of heights so not the best choice for a job between semesters of college lol.

[@Tmhlink]

not just in the lift. At 0:33 he is shown climbing the tower without a harness. To be fair, he wan't shown going very high (I suspect it was just b-roll to fit the narration)

[@The93Vector]

Glad you have other plans for the tower. Would be sad to have it empty after Starlink goes bankrupt.

[@JoeMalovich]

Now it's time to do a video on Dual WAN / Load Balancing with Starlink and TMHI.

[@jesusismful]

How is Starlink's cable NEC compliant? Shouldn't that cable be going into a grounding block that bonded to your service ground before going into the home?