[WVDXA] The Tower Base is DONE!

[Clark L. Stewart]

Guys,

      The temperature only made it up to 42° F today but I was able to get 
the manual labor and the concrete truck so the new tower base and guy 
anchors are now DONE!  What a job!  This would have been easy if we had 
been working on level ground.  But the slope behind my house is SEVERE!

      The contractor was NOT able to drive his Bobcat up the hill from the 
"haul road" that marks the back side of my property.  Even backing the 
Bobcat up the hill with the bucket pushing him would not work.

      Coming down from the top you move horizontally about 75 feet from the 
crest of the hill and you drop about 28 feet in elevation.  Now that's what 
I call steep.  I had to use a shovel like a cane to keep from losing my 
footing.  I think I'll try to install a "ski lift" to get down to the tower 
base from the house in the future.

      Anyway, I've posted a few photos of today's operation on this web 
site with some comments.  Just click on any photo to make it larger and 
then use your BACK button to return to the Index page.

<http://w8tn.com/Gallery/Tower>

      The concrete truck was able to drive up the "haul road" to the back 
of my property.  This made it easy to pour the two lower guy anchors.  But, 
the tower was some 75 or 80 feet from the road - UPHILL!  Remember, a 
Bobcat could not drive up that slope.  So, the cubic yard of concrete for 
the base of the tower had to be carried by HAND in 5-gallon buckets UP the 
steep, muddy slope.  Some 44 buckets!  Oh, to be young and full of energy.

      Hopefully on April 14th (weather permitting) I'll start building the 
tower.  Of course, I need to take down the 30-foot tower and antennas I 
have up at my old location since that will be the top of the new 
tower.  Remember, I have to put up 30-feet of tower to get up to ground 
level!  Then, I have to figure out how to get a crane of some sort to lift 
the antenna over the trees and onto the tower.  This should be really 
interesting.

      OK, I'm off to find the Aleve and hit the sack.  Enjoy the pictures.

Clark, W8TN
Hoping to have an antenna up for BS7H
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