Installing a new tower

[KG0MN]

Perhaps the biggest and definitely one of the most expensive part of the whole process was finished today and that was digging the 4' x 4' x 4' whole that now holds the bottom 5' section of the 50' tower I am installing. The city I live in will not allow towers any higher than that, but after a year of so I may do some maintenance to the tower and add another 10' section once the neighbors regain their senses.

I will be adding pictures as the process continues.

 

[wavrider]

I agree the hard part is the digging.

50 feet is an ok height, if that is all the city will allow then it is what you have to work with.

I have a multiband yagi at 45 feet here and it works good DX. Of course it would work beter at 90 feet but no complaints at 45 feet. If I can hear them I can usually work them with 100 watts, if not then I turn a switch on and get 10 more db gain.

Good luck on the tower install and be careful.

 

[airplane1]

I thought a licenced operator can put up 200ft of tower unless an airport is nearby.

AP

 

[AudioShockwav]

The city I live in will not allow towers any higher than that

I thought a licenced operator can put up 200ft of tower unless an airport is nearby.

Even if you have a Ticket, you still have to contend with City regulations , Homeowner groups, Covenants, and so on.
There is a Law, PRB-1 that allows "Reasonable" Accommodations to Amateur Radio Operators...

[SIZE=+0] PRB-1 cited as "Amateur Radio Preemption, 101 FCC 2d 952 (1985)," is a limited preemption of local zoning ordinances. It delineates [/SIZE] [SIZE=+0] three rules for local municipalities to follow in regulating antenna structures: (1) state and local regulations that operate to preclude amateur communications are in direct conflict with federal objectives and must be preempted; (2) local regulations that involve placement, screening or height of antennas based on health, safety or aesthetic considerations must be crafted to reasonably accommodate amateur communications; and (3) such local regulations must represent the minimum practicable regulation to accomplish the local authority's legitimate purpose. The heart of PRB-1 is codified in the FCC Rules [97.15(e)]. Of course, what is "reasonable" depends on the circumstances. [/SIZE]

It is up to each Operator to deal with local authority to determine what "reasonable" is.

73
Jeff