| Author |
Message |
    
Sonny
Member
Username: Sonny
Post Number: 97
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 4:37 pm: | 
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Well the 5'x4'x4' hole going slow, I risked it and called the county for a permit after the fact of digging hole for foundation. Wow Lon you were right I informed them that I'm a License amateur operator and talking to them there is no restrictions on anything 40ft. and lower which falls into my tower range at 35 feet extened and 11'4" retracted. The guy wished me luck in communacating. Whew thank goodness for that  |
Starface
Advanced Member
Username: Starface
Post Number: 671
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 5:05 pm: |
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That is great new, finish up and get on the air! |
Road_warrior
Senior Member
Username: Road_warrior
Post Number: 1649
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 5:16 pm: |
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WOW! That's is a huge hole. That tower base
will never go anywhere! 
Well, good luck with your installation Sonny!
 |
Rldrake
Intermediate Member
Username: Rldrake
Post Number: 177
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 8:17 pm: |
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Before the pour...
Don't forget to check with your insurance carrier to see if they have conditions/standards/inspections that might need to be addressed. |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 10356
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 4:39 pm: |
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Sonny,
GREAT! Glad to hear the good new's and hopefully soon we will be able to connect on the air. 
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9CEF
CVC#2 |
Chad
Advanced Member
Username: Chad
Post Number: 939
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 9:19 am: |
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Great news. It's a great feeling when you flip the switch and hear words. I was down for almost 8 weeks, having the tower safely in the air was a great relief! You gonna pour your own concrete? If so, get a good night's sleep. I did, it was not THAT bad but I don't see myself running out and doing it again anytime soon!
Chad |
Road_warrior
Senior Member
Username: Road_warrior
Post Number: 1653
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 12:17 pm: |
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5X4X4 hole. For that size i'd be having a
cement truck pour it.  |
Tech237
Moderator
Username: Tech237
Post Number: 389
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 12:32 pm: |
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If all goes well I'll start digging the hole for my tower this weekend. |
Road_warrior
Senior Member
Username: Road_warrior
Post Number: 1655
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 4:20 pm: |
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Good Deal Tech 237!
What size hole you going with Tech 237? |
Chad
Advanced Member
Username: Chad
Post Number: 942
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 6:05 pm: |
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My 5 yr old dug almost half of mine because he thought it was "fun." He was not as much into mixing concrete though 
Chad |
Tech237
Moderator
Username: Tech237
Post Number: 392
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 6:37 pm: |
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Mine will be a 3 x 3 x 3 hole as the tower will also be bolted to the main structure of the house. Apart from that I live in a valley 3500 up a mountian side and any thing deeper than that will be rock and I have no intentions of renting a pnuematic hammer. |
Road_warrior
Senior Member
Username: Road_warrior
Post Number: 1657
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 10:02 pm: |
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Yeah, mine is also 3x3x3
LOL... on 5yr old digging hole. |
Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 1384
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Friday, June 23, 2006 - 11:14 am: |
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Don't forget to add the rebar reinforcement along the edges of the hole and a few pieces of rebar across the hole in an X pattern. That will keep the concrete from cracking and weakening your base.
As a rule-
Always use 6-sack mix concrete.
Always use rebar around edges and through center.
Always install a ground rod in one corner of the hole, as deep as possible.
Always level the tower base BEFORE the concrete sets.
Get as many air bubbles out of the concrete as possible. |
Tech237
Moderator
Username: Tech237
Post Number: 394
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 23, 2006 - 11:58 am: |
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tech833
Dad designed the machines that make the fibersteel for concrete reo. I have enough of that to do a 60ft sq shop floor so I'll be adding that to the reo bars.
I have in the past, also tied the reo bars to the towwer supports to make a combine package. Never lost a tower - yet. |
Chad
Advanced Member
Username: Chad
Post Number: 947
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 23, 2006 - 1:58 pm: |
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They make a vibrator thing (I won't go into what it looks like) that you put in the mix in the hole that will knock the air bubbles out. I rented one for like 15 bucks and it saved me a bunch of shovel wiggling time. I made a wood former for my base and leveled that out so that was an ounce of prevention. Just made it out of scrap OSB and about 8" deep. Worked well.
Chad
Chad |
Road_warrior
Senior Member
Username: Road_warrior
Post Number: 1662
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 23, 2006 - 9:28 pm: |
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I have one ground-rod under cement.
We made a rebar cage, designed like Tech 833 describes.
Kept rebar 3-5 inches from sides as we called highway department for recommendations.
We didn't level out top of cement. Used 1 1/2"
of industrial grout on top and leveled.
We removed air bubbles by hand, with a homemade
device my uncle made.
They wanted $45 here to rent a cement vibrator.
Thought that was a bit much for a few hours. |
Wildrat
Advanced Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 925
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, June 26, 2006 - 12:04 pm: |
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You fellas need to come south and see how us southerners do cement. |
Sniper_62881
Intermediate Member
Username: Sniper_62881
Post Number: 146
Registered: 7-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, August 13, 2006 - 7:02 pm: |
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That's a lot of digging. |
Road_warrior
Senior Member
Username: Road_warrior
Post Number: 1833
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, August 13, 2006 - 8:36 pm: |
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The digging wasn't to bad here. First 2
ft. was dark black soil and the last foot
was wet clay. |
Sniper_62881
Intermediate Member
Username: Sniper_62881
Post Number: 149
Registered: 7-2005
| | Posted on Monday, August 14, 2006 - 7:53 am: |
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We have quite a bit of clay around here, I had to dig a hole for a dog of mine that died, I got 6 inches down with a shovel and got one of my buddies to help it took 2 1/2 hours to dig a 4x3x3. Nothing like good old clay.
marc.cef613 |
Chad
Senior Member
Username: Chad
Post Number: 1030
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Monday, August 14, 2006 - 8:28 am: |
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Sniper,
For clay soil, we are around the same parts, my soil is actually brownish!, I use what is called a garden claw to loosen it up. It requires a twisting action and works great!!!! I'd still be hurtin without it!
Chad |
Hollowpoint445
Senior Member
Username: Hollowpoint445
Post Number: 1333
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Monday, August 14, 2006 - 11:30 am: |
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Clay soil may be bad for digging, but it's good for ground conductivity because of high mineral content and it's ability to hold water. It's normally pretty acidic, so that'll cause the ground rods to corrode faster shortening the time frame when you have a good ground. |
Chad
Senior Member
Username: Chad
Post Number: 1031
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Monday, August 14, 2006 - 6:45 pm: |
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Ground rods are cheap and easy to put in clay, with the help of water you can have one in in a few minutes and your bare hands (providing you don't hit a rock)
chad |
Canon5218
Junior Member
Username: Canon5218
Post Number: 26
Registered: 8-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, September 03, 2006 - 11:11 pm: |
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Everytime I do a DEEP ground rod I use my Hilti Hammer drill and the ground rod driver attachment for it. Yeah don't laugh you can drive a ground rod 10' down in 15 minutes reguardless of rock, clay or whatever...One of the perks of a company truck full of cool tools. |
Starface
Advanced Member
Username: Starface
Post Number: 989
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, December 16, 2006 - 11:31 pm: |
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The Hazer
Does anyone have one or ever used one?
How good are they?
Starface
KI4NBE |
