Completing the Ham Radio Tower and Putting up Antennas

On Saturday, Hubby rented a bucket lift and his best friend came to help put everything up.  If you read the previous post, you know there is a base section of the tower six feet into the ground buried in concrete.  After it cured, Hubby put the next tower section on with the tractor.  But he couldn't do more without a lift.  But after that, the weather wouldn't cooperate until this weekend.

First they put on the top tower section.  I wish the tractor wasn't in the way, but maybe they were using it.

Then the 2 meter 440 vertical antenna.

Next, the 2 meter beam.

And last, the triband beam antenna is on the way up.

It was a nice day on the ground.  A little windy up there, said Hubby.  Threading the antenna beams around the tower requires concentration.

Done!  All that was left was zip-tying wire all the way down.

Just after sunrise the next morning.

Setting the Ham Radio Tower

A few weeks ago when I was out of town, Hubby rented a jack hammer and took a few more feet of rock out of the tower foundation. He had had a base for the tower made last year and it has to fit completely in the foundation, with just a few inches of pipe out of the foundation for the tower to fit into. Then, he added rebar, ground rods, and yesterday, a truck load of cement. Once the concrete sets up and the wind dies down (if it ever does), he is ready to assemble the tower.