The AM Forum

All

Well -- for better (definitely not worse) tomorrow's "D" day (as in demolish).  I'm aching all over but excited about getting on with the new Shack.  Many thanks to my friend Bob KB1QV for taking down and relocating the antenna.  Preliminary reports are good.

A word about the old mast (hand over the heart).  It literally clawed its way against being taken down.  We had to pull HARD to get it down.  After looking at it on the ground it really was a long mast (35 feet).  I'm convinced  that it would have outlived me had I left it there.  Wish I could remember the brand name.

Tomorrow we start off with the electrician pulling the power.  I'm a bit worried about my emergency power cable but worse case would be that he cut it off and rewires it later.  I'm going to try to keep the box that gives me connection to my service cable from the generator.

Bob took some pictures himself - I'll try to get some of them and post them here.  Wish me luck!  I'm really looking forward to the results.

73, Al

PS: you can see the pics I took at this link -- the PDF file

http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=24029.0

Al, those are 35 ft masts? I am going to have to do that here. My trees are antenna eaters. just not sturdy enough.

I have my eye on the 50 ft Rohn pushup masts as I can afford em and they only have to support dipoles and the 160 T antenna on pulleys. I can get Urbana Electronics to install for me if need be.

Good luck today. 

I would come up and help you Al - but it is TROUT SEASON...

It might have been a Rohn.  It held a Ham M and a 22 element colinear 2 m ant quite nicely.  It survived a hurricane and several recent storms with hardly  quiver.  It started out being a 40' mast.  I took off the last 5' when I did the latest move 25+ years ago

Here are the demo pics.  The file's too big so use my FTP site

http://homepage.fcgnetworks.net/w1vtp/SHOP/W1VTP_NEW_HOME_Demolish_Phase.pdf

I missed the slab removal bit did get some pics of the foundation form dig

Al

Here's the foundation dig.  It's small enough to put up on the forum

Al

Nothing like big equipment to get the job done fast Al. 

Is your new building going to be the same size as you old one that was taken down?   I was going to ask you what that small green extension was going to the old building but I guess that like an enclosed breeze way. 

Other than the exterior siding on the old building, how was the structural integrity of it.  From the pictures, it looked like it was structurally sound but just needed re-skinned. 

Can't wait to see the updates as the progress continues. 

Joe, W3GMS 

wow thats a long way down. start throwing your brass radiators overboard, Al. It worked for the sparks in 22 and it'll work for you.  :D

I see the wooden chair out by the digger!   That's the smart way to supervise.  :)

Joe

It's a very old building -- used pegs in part of the construction -- I'm guessing 150 to 200 years old. The shop will be a little bigger (25 x 25 vs 21 x 20).  The connector building was what I called a woodshed for lack of a better term.  That will become a storage room with access from the back of the old part of the house to the new.  It'll be used as a pantry / freezer room to give some relief to our kitchen. I'll be able to walk in my slippers and jammies from the main part of the house to my shop. Structural integrity? Don't ask, Don't tell. ;D.  It's been around a very long time so that has to count for something.

Derb

I have KC3XX, Matt [ http://www.kc1xx.com/ ] working on the tower.  I'm going to ask him about the grounding system Wednesday.

Al

That must feel great.
You couldn't ask for better soil to dig and I would guess conductivity.
Where I am in Upstate NY it's two rocks for every dirt and low ohm grounding is all but futile.
( hah, "Low resistance is futile" )  ;D
More pics, more pics...

Al, I ran a #8 bare around the outside of the footings about 2 feet away from the concrete. Then brought both ends into the shack. Then I put radials in the ground near the surface.

That's idea I had too.  Except I was going to put some copper tubing down and bring it up to the tower base.  Matt has an idea what to do so I'm going to go with his recommendation.  Thanks for the idea -- I like it. I still may do a variation of it but just do it farther from the frost wall.

Here's a photo of the tower base - actually the base sits on that footing

Al

Copper tubing sounds like a good idea. It will out last ground rods. You won't need to drive thme in very far.

that sandy soil - it's like cheating!! They have the same thing down in Long Guy Land and southern Noo Joisey too, the midwest, etc... You should see what the ground is like around here - something to contend with. Shale. High percentage of rock in the form of shale, hard to dig, when there is anything loose to dig and you are not just on top of a ROCK surface!!

Good luck with the build Al!!

                _-_-bear

Bear
All

Even the contractor who is local remarked on the great sand (with a few surprise boulders).  He is happy as a clam - said I had a gold mine there.

Here is the pic of the form to the base of the tower.  There was a screwup yesterday with the concrete guy who didn't show up.  He is there as I post this.  Tower guy is there, we're rollin

Finalized the HVAC install this morning.  It's going to be suspended from the ceiling on the "garage" side out of the way.

Al

Al,
My building inspector had a good suggestion for me. He had me put foam on the inside concrete walls above grade. I put 2 inch foam from just below floor level to just below grade. I used 2 foot wide panels on their sides. This helps to keep the cold out.

OOPS

Things are really moving to fast for me ;D

Here is a link to the latest on the foundation / tower base pour.

http://homepage.fcgnetworks.net/w1vtp/SHOP/W1VTP_FOUNDATION_POUR.pdf

If there are some duplications it was my oversight

Al

Rohn 45, eh?  How high?  Did you get clearance from MHT for that??   ;D  ::)   :o   ;D

I'm thinking copper pipe for yer ground rods might be a problem in that the frost thaw cycle would probably split em or flatten em out to shreds underground. If you ever needed to get em out for any reason (not that I can think of one at the moment) you'd play hell with it.

I also dont know about melting your pipe torching your strap in place. wall's too thin.

40' for now.  Later I might want to up the anti -- but without guys I'm comfortable with 40'.  Now for the first time in my life I can think about a tri-bander.  10 meters is coming to life in a few years, I'll be ready for it.

Guess whut sprouted in my back yard!! ;D

Al once you get this up, maybe you will be able to hear my PW signal!

Mike WU2D

Al,

   Look at that tower section again. Isn't it upside down?



















































just kidding!  ;D

Jim
WD5JKO

Mike

I can hear you plainly when my dummy load's connected up ;D

Jim - you are a perverse person ;D

Ready for framing

http://homepage.fcgnetworks.net/w1vtp/SHOP/May_17_2010_pics/

Al,

   That building project looks like it is proceeding FB. I sure hope you get everything setup as planned.

Oh, that swimming pool in the background caught my eye. It looks nasty! I'm on day 4 of a pool project which is why my eye zeroed in on the pool. So I wonder if the following movie trailer might relate to your pool? If so, your construction workers may be in danger...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-mDrE4iUH8

 ;D

Jim
WD5JKO

OH that's nothing.  The cover is relatively free from "creatures" this year.  That'll be uncovered Memorial day and prepared for a summer's fun.  Here's a view of my pool from outer space (Lower left hand). You can almost make out the garage there but it's a bit under the trees.

OK here's a street view showing part of the mast (and garage)  that is now gone and the pool.

Al