A number of LRRA Hams got together on Saturday September 23, 2023 to watch and help K0BCL Brian Lewis put up his Rohn 25G tower. When we arrived at 9:00 AM, the site was already prepared to put up the 3rd and 4th sections. Each section is 10′ long. The first section is buried 4′, leaving 6′ above the concrete. Total tower height 36′.

Both the first and second sections were bolted together before the concrete was poured.  This allowed a plumb bob to be suspended from 10′ higher above the concrete for a better indication of vertical (as long as the wind was not blowing) than if only one section had been used.  Besides, it was easier to join the first two sections on the ground.

The first step today was to harness up for safety, of course. You can see Brian in the first photo guiding the 3rd stage into place while George handles the gin pole line (a device which uses the tower itself to raise the next stage). Larry (NE1S) looks on, as well as the rest of us outside the pic. [click pic to enlarge view in a new window]

The 3rd stage install was difficult in that the 3rd tower piece didn’t align perfectly with the 2nd, but with a couple 2 x 4’s, a clamp and a hammer — and persistence on the part of Brian and George (NC1Z) — they got the stages mated securely and secured with bolts. The 4th stage made it safely into place relatively easily.

Finally, the first antenna was raised into place, this time installed by George. The first antenna is a 6 m “Ringo” antenna. Future possible antennas include two dipoles — one end-fed and the other off-center fed, and possibly a yagi mounted with a rotor. [click pic to enlarge view in a new window]

Some additional pics.

[click pic to enlarge view in a new window]