How high before it breaks?

[jlochey]

Does anyone have any experience with how high you can put the standard TV antenna tower (you know with 10' sections) before you will need guy wires.

I'm sorry, I know that a MILLION factors are at stake here, but I was driving an saw an antenna, WAY up there with NO guy wires, an I just got to thinking.


Thanks,


John:rolleyes:

[Guy in WNY]

"If it didn't come down in the last storm, then it wasn't high enough!"
You really want it to stay up, though, for year and years. A tower is the prefered way, you can buy them either guyed or free standing. Whatever way you go, quality installation is key. You don't want to have to go up and down the thing more than a couple of times a year.
Guy in Lockport, NY

[Zornblad]

According to the Delhi Catalogue, tubular towers are designed to support no more than "Three (3) square ft." of projected wind area, with no more than "Two (2) sections above the house bracket". If more sections are added above the house bracket, guy wires should be used. (A large VHF-UHF combo antenna is around 3 square ft.)

Al,
From St.Thomas, Ontario

[Russ-PA]

Interesting. Sight unseen, I'd find it hard to believe that 2 10' sections of tubular mast would support that much unguyed.

I have a 14 element 2 meter antenna ( wind load between 3 & 4 sq ft ) on 5' of mast above the rotor, which is about 6-8' above the bracket, and it's guyed - professional installation, from 1983, ( and the 15' of steel mast below the rotor is very well rusted and the rotor is frozen ).

My rule of thumb would be about half that unless that tubular mast is heavier than I'm envisioning. I think I'd calculated my APS-9B at about 1.5. Alas I can't recall the formula now - that was 3 years ago ;-}

[Zornblad]

Actually, I was speaking of "Tubular towers, also known as Golden Nugget - Tubular Towers", and not tubular mast. Personally, I wouldn't go any higher than 10 or 12ft on unguyed mast, unless it's heavy walled. My recommendation was based on info in the Delhi Catalogue.

Al,
St. Thomas, Ontario

[John Wilke K9RZZ]

"How high until it breaks?"

That's your job to find out! "If it doesn't fall down in the first big storm, it ain't big enough!!"

John K9RZZ
(adds more excitement to those windy days also)