Antenna tower hinge

I have an antenna tower in concrete behind my garage that has my local tv station antenna. It is a big yagi type antenna. It has been there, both the antenna and tower, for 12 years. I am getting a little older and dont have any help and to be honest, dont like climbing up it. I think the tower is 25 feet ot so from it's top to the ground.

Would it be possible to make a hinge for this thing so I could bring it down to replace the anteena? Can I do it now that it is already errected, maybe loosening at one of the sections and pulling it off, installing the made hinge then putting back on? Would I be able to lift the tower and antenna by myself once it is pulled off to install the hinge. I appreciate any help.

I have considered similar for raising owl boxes, and raptor perches. My thoughts come down to three pad eyes, the center one being on the base of the tower, the other two, set into a concrete base, all three match drilled through, and secured by a heavy bolt. A pad eye is a D shaped piece of metal, but can be long, with the hole drilled in the D. You've seen them as lifting points on machinery. The one on the base of the tower would fit between the two set in the concrete.

Lifting and lowering would have to be done with a winch or a vehicle, and a three point guy system would make it steady.

Lowering the antenna in the first place for installation of the hinge part would be the biggest process.

Raising would consist of leaving the two guy wires in place, and pulling on the third, but using some sort of helping member to make the pulling cable pull upward slightly rather than just horizontally. The two permanent guy wires would hold the antenna safely in place while lowering and raising with the third detachable one, once you have them to the correct length.

It would be some work at first, but then very easy to raise or lower it. Align the hinge to bisect the line of the two stationary guy wires, and the third perpendicular to that on the other side, all the same length. They could be all the way to the top, or just 2/3 of the height, and be steady.

Take some pictures and share. Perhaps someone who has BTDT can give you better advice, or another way if you post some pics.

Steve

The only possible scenario is if the tower has guy wires. They could be loosened a little at a time and the tower jacked up in place and a short hinge piece bolted in place. It would all have to be made custom for your situation.

All in all, a new tower would be cheaper.

Paul, KD7HB

There are a lot of ways to do it and a lot of types of towers that dictate the correct way to do it for that tower. Honestly, 25' is an extremely short tower so climbing it really shouldn't be a concern. Just buy the correct safety harness and "Y" 100% tie-off lanyard (~$100 or so total) and get on with it with far less hassle than trying to re-engineer the tower.

25'? try a tall ladder and a teenager.

the mast of my catamaran is shorter than that. it has a base hinge. a couple of guy wires attached to a pair of small boat trailer winches, a pair of mast base hinges, and releasable pins on the other legs would do this.

It shouldn't be too hard but when you do it you need experienced hands- on advice in person, not from the Internet. My 50 foot antenna mast hinges down.

If the tower unbolts at the base you can hinge it there. Higher up the hinge and lowest tower section will be pushed very hard sideways when you lower the tower with a rope.

jsw

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To be honest, I dont like hights.

I wondered if I could make a steel base with three pieces of tube bigger than the tube on the tower that would fit into the new tubes if that makes sense. My tower is the three sided stuff and I think it is steel but it may be aluminum. It is gray colored.

Also, it is hard to climb up it with a 10 foot long antenna in your hand.

My tower is up againts the back of the garage with nothign else nearby really. I do have an attic area above the garage. What i made a braket out of angle iron with a pulley, atteched the braket to a couple of studs through the attic wall. I have brick around my garage footer/ foundation. COuld I mound a hand crack winch directly into the brick/ block with concrete screws. Then run the winch rope/cable up through the pulley and attaching the middle or top part of the mast. With a hinge at the bottom of the tower, I could use the winch to raise lower the mast? Just thinking out loud.

Climb the tower with a piece of rope attached at one end to your climbing belt and the other end to theantenna (somewhere forward of the CG. When you get to the top, secure yourself and pull the antenna up to you. Do all the connecting work at the top. If you are replacing an antenna, just drop the old one off, unless you are planning on keeping it. In that case, use a piece of rope twice as long as you need with the center attached to the belt. When on top, attach the lose end to the old antenna and loosen it and lower it to the ground then pull the new one up and install it. If the antenna is very heavy (most TV antennae aren't) you can use a gin pole with a pulley at the top to pull up the antenna and lower the old one. Sounds like you may have Rohn 25 tower. I've been up and down those for years. Just think SAFETY FIRST.

Jim

Sure thing - but I'd mount that winch to a backer board (2X12 ...) well secured between studs instead of the brick . Then use two lengths of pipe/tube to brace it upright . Spread 'em apart like a towbar to form a triangle .

This is a piece of cake. You have probably never heard of a mast tabernacle, but it has been in use for hundreds of years and perhaps even longer. Please refer to

There you will find a more complete discussion. Steve

Here one idea for you:

'm sure you can find many more.

I'd use a gin pole and take the thing down one more time in sections. Then I'd put the hinge in. One of these days I have a Rohm 53' fold over I need to erect.

Wes

-- "Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

I like the idea of it, but my mast is over 30 feet long and weighs about

250 pounds!

le, but it has been in use for hundreds of years and

Steve

Since you showed photos of good examples, my TV antenna is a variation of a sliding Gunter rig:

The fixed mast is attached to the house and extends about 4' above the roof, with a guyed extension connected by a shiplap joint and bands. The "gaff" upper section of antenna mast tubing has the rotator at the bottom, attached to the track slide by a hinge, and the antenna at the top. When I remove the upper extension and fully lower the gaff part I can reach the antenna from the roof.

The halyard that raises it runs through upper and lower double sheave pulleys, vertically in line for a lower profile, so the pull is small enough to handle easily with cold bare hands in an icy night gale, ie when I most need to lower the antenna.

The upper guy lines run over pulleys on a ring suspended (to permit rotation) just below the antenna and down the mast to rope cleats. This way I can tension them to straighten the antenna tubing, which would be difficult from the outer ends of the guy lines.

For serious maintenance I can lower the slide to the ground and pivot the antenna tube (gaff) down.

It's hard to describe without a drawing, and not clear from the photos I've taken. I hope this is understandable.

jsw

I used to work on a crew of rig builders erecting and taking apart drilling derricks. Typical was a Lee C. Moore 147. Today, it is all very much heavier top driven units, and a floating gin pole is used. Yes, a gin pole, and a guy on the ground with a cathead would make very short work of that big a tower to bring it down. Then reassemble, make your hinge, put some adjustable guy wires on it, lift it up, adjust the two guy wires, add a third removable one, and be done with it. It would take longer to make the gin pole than to take down the structure.

Steve

Just a thought - but one might be able to take a leg, attach a hinge that will be over strong - and do that on another leg - e.g. the two that fold under.

So if a 3 or a 4 pole mask - you need two with hinges.

Now put a locking hasp on the other one and lock it.

Set up a real heavy wire - or chain.

Probably want a car or truck to control the wire down/up.

Tricky at best.

Once you are sure you can handle it, you can cut the legs at the center of the hinges and hasp(s).

Just a guess and a way - I suggest you get help from a mechanical engineer and or a crane company.

Switching an antenna - gee whiz - call the local Motorola service man and have the old one taken down and replaced with the new one. One hire out and it is over.

Mart>> I have an antenna tower in concrete behind my garage that has my local

Do you know any good tricks for erecting a gin pole or shear legs without a crane?

jsw