Anyone familiar with Rohn Masts?

citoriguy

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All,

I'm looking to the NES HAM radio brain trust for some guidance here.

I recently purchased a Comet CHA-250B (80m - 6m) and live in a neighborhood with some height restrictions on antennas and such, and because I'm redoing my back yard, I've lost any ability to put antennas back there. I have found a spot in the yard where I can put the antenna, but obviously want to get it up as high as possible to make the best use of the range. As a result, I stumbled on the Rohn masts and think the 20' option would be the best for my application. The recommendation is for the base of the antenna to be up about 25' and the Rohn gets me pretty close, but more importantly, that would place the top of the antenna at roughly 46' and well clear of my roofline. Where I'd be placing the antenna would require the use of the wall mounts rather than guy lines, but when I clear about 22', I can secure the antenna with guy lines if I can make it discreet enough.

Does anyone here have any experience with the Rohn masts, or masts similar to the Rohns? I like the telescoping ability, but would also like something like the Gap Antenna quick tilt ground mount so that I can drop the antenna in a hurry if need be. I guess I could theoretically put the Rohn mast into a quick tilt device and make the best of both worlds, but am unaware if there are larger problems that would arise.

Thanks in advance,

CG
 
I recently purchased a Comet CHA-250B (80m - 6m) and live in a neighborhood with some height restrictions on antennas and such, ...
(Are the restrictions legal?
You may still be constrained by code like,
"if the tower falls over, it must not be able to fall
outside the property line". I think a lot of operators
don't choose that hill to die on when they're
in a purse fight with their town.

But for your current application of elevating a vertical,
that may not be a big damned deal.

Still, consider the possibility that you may find that you want to
upgrade the tower to holding some kind of beam on a rotor some day.
Don't skinflint on placement or engineering because you think
you don't have to worry about a boom or elements hitting
that One Annoying Tree Branch or something).

The engineering issues get discussed non-stop on the Intarwebs,
but I regret that I can't point you to some epic thread out there.

(I think I can find modern best-in-class materials on How Not To Kill Yourself
if and when it comes time to put it up).

But NES will deliver...
 
I once helped a buddy put up a Rohn 25 tower. We fastened it very securely to the house. He used black iron pipe to hold the rotor and a 20m beam. First heavy wind the pipe bent over 90 degrees just like I told him it would. Make everything twice as strong as you think it should be. Jack.
 
I once helped a buddy put up a Rohn 25 tower. We fastened it very securely to the house. He used black iron pipe to hold the rotor and a 20m beam. First heavy wind the pipe bent over 90 degrees just like I told him it would. Make everything twice as strong as you think it should be. Jack.

This is my fear. If I go this route, I’ll be sure to add more bracketing. I’ll also have to do the same for the antenna itself.
 
I'm kinda thinking about mounting antennae to the chimney itself. My wife and I don't use the fireplace.

We do - I though of that as well, but we use ours almost nightly during this time of year. It’s perfect for concealment. Maybe I can go further behind it and still have the benefits of using the chimney as cover.

ETA - then I’d also be running 100’+ of cable to get to the shack. That can’t be great unless I’m using really high quality cables, right?
 
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I just use the house as a "support". Ran a large St St tube from the basement (ranch house),thru a bedroom closet and out thru the roof. Duplex bearings along the way. Where the tube comes out into the basement you can put a rotor on it or a piece of pipe thru it and rotate it by hand. You will be able to run the coax thru the tube to the radio. Works good. Jack.
 
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