Part 4: Mounting rotor, mast and ground rods 

Randy,, I have a safety/tower damage suggestion for you. As you lower the tower to horizontal, you are inducing a HUGE load on the tower base and lifting screw. The tower becomes a lever, known as ARM and creates incredibly high loads at the point it attaches (moment of energy). Do yourself a big favor and let the tower come to rest on a saw horse or barrel or something to relieve this load while you are working on it. When you stick something like a rotor on the far end and then crank down on the bolts it makes me cringe waiting for the loud bang when the steel fails. B-safe brother,, physics can be a bitch! 73 de N5RXP

Rather than let the tower bounce around when down , a wood box ta the end would do wonders to stabilize it. Great tower and like your videos

Fantastic project. Wish I had the acres for such a tower. PS: I'd be inclined to grease that threaded rod with maybe marine grade.

I'm located in the Texas Hill Country. There's about 2-4 inches of soil mixed with small to medium sized rocks on top of bedrock here. That makes it pretty tough to do anything that requires digging a hole or driving a post or rod into the ground here. I installed a telescopic mast for a TV antenna and got lucky by getting a four foot PVC sleeve three feet into the ground using a 25# rock/digging bar. My sore back, shoulder and leg muscles reminded me not to do that again for a few days. Driving in the ground rods with a post driver was especially memorable. Once you get a ground rod wedged between rocks a few feet deep, you can be sure that they aren't going to come back out so you can try again in a different spot. My hat's off to you for your tower installation. Beautiful tower and excellent installation. I'd love to have your setup down here!

Easy ground rod install, here in Arizona the ground is so hard, I have to use a hammer drill with a ground rod driver tip to do mine. I really like that tower, great videos.

I’m sitting on the edge of my seat waiting on the next video. Keep them coming Randy.

I unashamably (had to invent a new word for it!) admit...i'm jealous! what a fantastic set up you have and what an incredible view on the Oregon coast!

Nice, it will be worth it in the end. Sit back and enjoy the fruit of your labor.

I can’t imagine the torque that’s on the base when she’s tilted. It brings to mind the traffic signal lights in town, they are on a base at the side of the street and the arm reaches out 40+ feet. Things I contemplate while waiting for a green.

That tower looks SUPER DUPER !! I would suggest greasing that threaded jack rod and oiling the hinge point bolts at least twice a year and make a nice heavy duty 'lay over support stand' so when you lower the tower have something that will TEMPORARILY SUPPORT the TOP END of the tower while you make adjustments to or add antenna's to the tower or mast section, I am sure the anchor bolts going into the concrete will be HAPPIER this way while the tower is over sideways !! I would ZINK coat the rest of the tower construction bolts to keep them rust free also while the tower is over too!! sometime soon!

Love that tower, I am going the same rout with mine with a lean over plate , getting to old to climb any more😊

Fluid Film that screw for maintaining a long lasting smoothly operated tower less strain . Ground the tower properly. Invest in a cordless impact driver / well worth ur time & energy 👌🏼 Hre a ranch hand . ✋️

Very impressive install on your new tower Randy. Looking forward to seeing your antenna set up.......... Mike N6IMY

Really nice tower setup Randy. As a couple of others posted here, I would keep that Jackscrew well greased at all times. I would also keep that release pin greased as well... I’m not to sure how you sealed the top of the 3” PVC pipe at the tower base? And I would wager a guess all of your coax is already installed by now. Hope you used a 3” PVC weather head in that location to keep the water out? If you do not know what a weather head is... Ask anyone at the local electrical supply in your area. You’ll get the idea on how it works as soon as you see it... Looking forward to more of your great videos in the near future.. PS. How about more vids from Quartzfest!

Wow, some assembly required!!! :))) I am envious of that awesome location where you live and that tower must have cost a fortune! A couple suggestions though, which you probably already know, but i will throw it out there anyway. #1- install a catch on where the mast comes down. It may be rated to take the load free hanging like that. But a secure catch is easy, cheap, and worth the little investment. #2- Ground Rods- after getting the depth about 6" above ground level. Dig about a 1ft circle around rods, normally this would be done before pounding in rods, but you have already done that. Anyway, dig one foot around and one foot deep. Then fill hole with pea gravel. The only purpose for this is to allow "watering" during dry months.

Hi Randy, Coming along nice. I have a couple more ground rods to put in the ground. Going to rent a demolition hammer from Home Depot for that job. WB3BJU

Thanks for taking the trouble to post this video; it was very helpful.

12:01 Now these bolts and brackets corrode fast. I recommend to put a fair amount of Zinc spray on them to help them from continue corroding. (first clean it with a steel brush). I worked in the Mobile Telecom business for years and here in The Netherlands we have a lot of rain so everything has proper rust protection. Just an advice ;-)

Hi Randy. Nice looking tower.

That is a fantastic tower. Thanks for taking us along on your journey. K9WWW

Greetings from Michigan. Watched the Quartzfest panel q and a. and it all did turn out well here on the tube. Dave Casler and( prod7ction crew ) did well. Hopefully I will make one before my senior years take command..hihi..as for the great tower build..great work. I should have built 9ne while contracting in machine shop thirty five years back but now just a few verticals..maybe Ill squeeze a fast up long wire at night in my HOA community in Az. Til the tubes get hot, 73 Kb8qlz

Randy ...Nice job and I support the other comments... You may wish to put an additional nut ( this is referred to as a lock nut in the industry) above the existing upper nut on the tower foundation threaded rod coming out of the foundation, Self support towers have an overturn moment ...that is to say the wind acting on the tower is attempting to turn the tower upside down. The lock nut ensures that no tower rocking/ loosing of the existing nut over time occurs.... Of course I condone annual inspections of all tower and antenna components. Doug VE6PR

Great tower, I’m surprised not to see continuous use of a torque wrench, especially on those thru bolts on round tubing??

Awesome, your project is coming together nicely. Over time I guess wind and the vicinity to the water will affects all metal and bolts. Just as safety precaution and to limit future maintenance troubles I suggest that you put some Loctite adhesive on your mast bolts. A spring washer against a round surface may come loose due mast vibrations from strong winds. I would also put some anti-corrosion stuff on all metal at the base since it look like rust already has got a good start. Just my five cents. ;-)

Considering your poor ground conductivity... I would consider more ground rods.... Just what you wanted to hear.... but space them 10 feet away from your other ground rods. What a great tower!

Great tower.that worm gear looks dry as a bone. I need a tower like this for all my receiving antennas.

Should have rented a demolition hammer with post driver socket, too late now. When the fog rolled in, I thought I would see Sasquatch run across the back ground. Lol

Great series Randy! Here's a suggestion; which is what I am planning for my tower. Install a 4K outdoor camera (preferably a PTZ, pan-zoom-tilt) at the top. 1) You have great ocean views 2) general security 3) it would be a nice vid to see from the perspective of the tower as you raise & lower it... Are you going to mount a weather station up there too? You project is coming along nicely. At the end, it would be great to post a checklist of needed steps/parts/double-checks, etc. 73 - John - N7GHZ

Maybe in my next life.....great video

I know it's not a US flag. But it's bad form to have it in the dirt like that.

i still cant believe people are driving in grounding rods like that. it can be done so much faster with no major equipment or expense. less expensive then that post driver even.

nice... but i would have thought they would have used a stainless steel lead screw and hardware for the tilt. plus put the motor in a nema housing

Grease?

Great project. Is it worth fitting shrouds/gaiters to the rotator and thrust bearing to offer some weather protection?

What dimensions did you choose for the mast? (material and wall thickness)

I hope after all the time/effort/expense of a project like this, you cadwelded the tower grounds instead of just clamping them to the ground rods.

Thank you for sharing sir.

Are those bolts coming from the concrete pad stainless?? Sure hope so.

Why didn't you mount those base brackets right at the concrete level? Maybe shim three blocks of wood between the concrete and the base of the tower? If you poor water in the grounding rod hole as you go it makes it a lot easier.. Nice tower though

Did you ever consider adding radials to improve lightning dissipation?

Do you plan on making some kind of resting saddle when it is down?

Why The Union Jack? Lynton G4XCQ

Is that tower galvanized or is it painted? It’s a little late now but, those ground rods will go in a lot easier with a heavy duty hammer drill

Hi randy ! I have the same thrust and rotor. However I notice that a bad wind will twist the mast inside of the rotor clamps. Or spin slightly in high wind. I’ve heard people say to run a bolt through that hole on the clamps but I feel like it will eventually torque the rotor if I do that. Have you experienced this? Btw I’m using 1 5/8 galvanized gas pipe as a mast and the tower is only 30 ft.

Randy I would love to know where I could get the 12' aluminum mast you used ? I'm re-installing new antenna's on my 48' free standing tower and really don't want to use galvanized pipe.

Randy great vid...what is estimate price on a tower like this??

It's as they say in the business: If you don't have the tool yet, make it yourself.

Nice work! And super nice tower! // SM3TTZ

LQQKIN GOOD RANDY

Free coffee and lunch if you want to pound in some ground rods for me! HI HI enjoyed the video. 73 Leo

73!

Great project. 73S Pd2Juz

Why did you have the UK flag flying on top of it? :)

What does the wife think about the tower? Mine hates my hobby lol