Thursday, April 28, 2011

A Ton of Steel Tower Twisted like a Pretzel

This is what a recent severe storm did to my husband's (N4AF) 150 foot steel radio tower.  A tower like this is built piece by piece, erector set style. Thousands of hours of work go into erecting and maintaining a ham radio tower and antennas. It's unusual to see a downed tower so twisted.

It took us a little over a week to dismantle the fallen tower.  Most of it will be hauled to the scrap metal yard.  Howie still has 3 other radio towers still standing.  This tower fell into guy wires of one of the other towers, causing it to lean. He had to climb up the leaning tower to attach a new wire. It was pretty scary watching that.  Get another hobby? Naw, rebuilding has started!

twisted at base




Howie examining damage the next day

top of tower Any bent steel cannot be reused.

top of tower, diagonal pieces bowed

tower fell on guy wires of another tower