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Posted: 11/20/2014 8:47:02 AM EDT
[#1]
FWIW you can generally do better than that on Craigslist.
The arrival of the Dish and cable have rendered TV towers obsolete and there are a lot of them out there free for the removal. They pop up on Craigslist all the time. Hell, post an ad offering to remove one and I'd bet your mailbox is flooded in a heartbeat. Look for rust inside. |
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Posted: 11/20/2014 9:10:02 AM EDT
[#2]
Rust inside, obvious signs of welding or "repairs", bends where there shouldn't be, and matching parts. You'll probably want a good base too, if you can snag one cheap used, get it.
If it's been painted, ask why. It might be as simple as "wife didn't like the silver" or as bad as "it started to rust, so I covered it with krylon." |
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Posted: 11/20/2014 8:56:14 PM EDT
[#3]
I had one of those BX series towers but got rid of it last year at the local Hamfest. I didn't really have anywhere to put it up. The BX series is a light duty tower for a small tri-bander or some VHF/UHF antennas.
The HBX and HDBX are heavier duty and the price will reflect that. Remember, that is a freestanding tower and will require a hole 5x5x6 feet deep and a little over 5.5 yards of concrete/rebar to erect. Tubular tower will need close inspection inside and out. Bulging in the tubing means it has filled with water then frozen. Bad juju. Positively I.D. the tower before buying as there has been a lot of cheap, light duty tower being passed off as Rohn 25g on un-educated buyers. ETA - math. 
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Posted: 11/20/2014 9:03:48 PM EDT
[#4]
Look for splits near the bottom. I have one up that I don't use and the water in it froze and split two of the legs for about an inch.
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Posted: 11/20/2014 9:25:22 PM EDT
[#5]
To add to what KB7DX said, even the strongest HDBX isn't supposed to be used with an antenna having a boom longer than 10'.
What do you plan to put on a tower? That might narrow down your search right away. ETA: The price is way high for the rusty one you linked to, sorry to say. |
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Posted: 11/23/2014 2:20:54 PM EDT
[#6]
Criagslist isn't too widely used for Ham stuff here in UT so that is where they pop up.
Not sure exactly what I will put on it yet. I'm looking to get into HF. Picked up a new G5RV for free a couple of years and I was planning to do an inverted V. This popped up yesterday: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=218&ad=32462810&cat=&lpid=2&search=tower&ad_cid=7 |
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Posted: 11/23/2014 3:22:33 PM EDT
[#7]
Check the bolt holes for damage. I've had to trash some sections because there was no way to get them apart aside from cutting the bolt head. I wouldn't want someone to put up a section even with small nicks.
I agree that if you can take one down people will be knocking down your door. |
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Posted: 11/23/2014 3:34:08 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Check the bolt holes for damage. I've had to trash some sections because there was no way to get them apart aside from cutting the bolt head. I wouldn't want someone to put up a section even with small nicks. I agree that if you can take one down people will be knocking down your door. Tower assembly/disassembly is a new endeavor for me. I lack the safety equipment to climb a tower. |
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Posted: 11/23/2014 5:12:39 PM EDT
[#9]
Too bad you're not closer. I'd help you take it down if you found one. I've got a gin pole. All I need is muscle on the ground to lower the sections.
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Posted: 11/23/2014 7:43:36 PM EDT
[#10]
Stay away from used Armalite. The towers always twist (if they are guyed) and they have a poor rust inhibitor. Inside of the tower generally rusts out.
As far a Rohn tower goes…new runs round $125 per section. If used has been cut, welded or shows any other signs of repair…walk away from it. If you are taking one down, beware of the guys. You don't want them over tightened (the tower will oscillate on you) but you don't want them to be too loose either (tower will sway). Beware house brackets mounted above the first section of tower (the tower will pivot and wobble out the joint between the first and second sections). I've also seen base plates held down with con-taps (beware of that). |
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Posted: 11/23/2014 8:34:36 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Criagslist isn't too widely used for Ham stuff here in UT so that is where they pop up. Not sure exactly what I will put on it yet. I'm looking to get into HF. Picked up a new G5RV for free a couple of years and I was planning to do an inverted V. This popped up yesterday: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=218&ad=32462810&cat=&lpid=2&search=tower&ad_cid=7 IMHO, a tower for a G5RV or a dipole is a waste of time and money. Besides that you'll need to offset a G5RV away from the tower. A cheaper way of doing this would be a fiberglass mast guyed with non conducting antenna rope. Having a couple of tall trees is even better. BTW, I have a heavy duty 33 ft, free-stading, telescoping tower for sale. It comes with a base and three new (grade 8) anchors. It's retracts down to 12 ft and weighs about 400 lbs. |
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Posted: 11/23/2014 8:40:34 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I had one of those BX series towers but got rid of it last year at the local Hamfest. I didn't really have anywhere to put it up. The BX series is a light duty tower for a small tri-bander or some VHF/UHF antennas. The HBX and HDBX are heavier duty and the price will reflect that. Remember, that is a freestanding tower and will require a hole 5x5x6 feet deep and a little over 5.5 yards of concrete/rebar to erect. Tubular tower will need close inspection inside and out. Bulging in the tubing means it has filled with water then frozen. Bad juju. Positively I.D. the tower before buying as there has been a lot of cheap, light duty tower being passed off as Rohn 25g on un-educated buyers. ETA - math. What height are you factoring using that amount of concrete? Guyed vs non-guyed? |
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Posted: 11/23/2014 9:00:50 PM EDT
[#13]
Guyed Tower Installation Tips
The link above has lots tower installation tips. Bottom line is to not go cheap and to do it right the first time. 
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Posted: 11/23/2014 9:44:25 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Guyed Tower Installation Tips The link above has lots tower installation tips. Bottom line is to not go cheap and to do it right the first time. Great link, thank you. Much reading ahead of me. |
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Posted: 11/24/2014 12:32:02 AM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
IMHO, a tower for a G5RV or a dipole is a waste of time and money. Besides that you'll need to offset a G5RV away from the tower. A cheaper way of doing this would be a fiberglass mast guyed with non conducting antenna rope. Having a couple of tall trees is even better. BTW, I have a heavy duty 33 ft, free-stading, telescoping tower for sale. It comes with a base and three new (grade 8) anchors. It's retracts down to 12 ft and weighs about 400 lbs. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Criagslist isn't too widely used for Ham stuff here in UT so that is where they pop up. Not sure exactly what I will put on it yet. I'm looking to get into HF. Picked up a new G5RV for free a couple of years and I was planning to do an inverted V. This popped up yesterday: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=218&ad=32462810&cat=&lpid=2&search=tower&ad_cid=7 IMHO, a tower for a G5RV or a dipole is a waste of time and money. Besides that you'll need to offset a G5RV away from the tower. A cheaper way of doing this would be a fiberglass mast guyed with non conducting antenna rope. Having a couple of tall trees is even better. BTW, I have a heavy duty 33 ft, free-stading, telescoping tower for sale. It comes with a base and three new (grade 8) anchors. It's retracts down to 12 ft and weighs about 400 lbs. I think the shipping would kill me on that. 
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Posted: 11/24/2014 12:33:19 AM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Guyed Tower Installation Tips The link above has lots tower installation tips. Bottom line is to not go cheap and to do it right the first time. Great info, lots to absorb there. |
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Posted: 11/24/2014 1:18:43 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
What height are you factoring using that amount of concrete? Guyed vs non-guyed? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I had one of those BX series towers but got rid of it last year at the local Hamfest. I didn't really have anywhere to put it up. The BX series is a light duty tower for a small tri-bander or some VHF/UHF antennas. The HBX and HDBX are heavier duty and the price will reflect that. Remember, that is a freestanding tower and will require a hole 5x5x6 feet deep and a little over 5.5 yards of concrete/rebar to erect. Tubular tower will need close inspection inside and out. Bulging in the tubing means it has filled with water then frozen. Bad juju. Positively I.D. the tower before buying as there has been a lot of cheap, light duty tower being passed off as Rohn 25g on un-educated buyers. ETA - math. What height are you factoring using that amount of concrete? Guyed vs non-guyed? This type of tower is freestanding with no guy wires. The volume of the base is from Rohn Tower data sheets. Tower height is 48 feet. |
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