THANKS TO WB5VZL FOR PROVIDING THIS INFORMATION TO THE KA9FOX WEB SITE! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- From: N6ZZ@aol.com To: cq-contest@tgv.com Date: Tue, 16 Aug 94 07:28:33 EDT Subject: SCREW-IN GUY ANCHORS: RESPONSE Here is some feedback from my screw-in guy anchor query a few weeks ago, thanks to KY1H, K1VR, KR2J, WN4KKN, K5FUV, K5MR, N6MM, W6QHS, AA6T, K6XO, K7GM, WA8LLY/6, KM9P, WX0B, K0GU, K0OU/4 and K0SF--a real list operation! Rohn does indeed make an anchor that's 4 feet long, w/ a 6-inch plate, at least according to an ancient catalog that I have---which even depicts two smiling, nattily-attired workers installing one of these devices. Some of you have said they install easily using a piece of pipe or bar to turn 'em with, others have pointed out that they're not too suitable for rocky soil, as they have the ability to seek out rocks! In any case, lots of guys out there are using them. Soil composition is a real key. Recently landscaped or loosely packed soil appears to increase the risk factor--since holding power is related to what's between the anchor plate and the surface. With loose soil & lots of rain followed by winds, and the tower quickly becomes horizontal instead of vertical. While there was reluctance to install these anchors on towers above 60 or 70 feet, some have used them for well over 100 feet with success---and careful installation. Installation so that the anchor rod is at a 45 degree angle is facilitated by using a post-hole digger to dig a small starter hole, just enough so that the plate will catch the soil. With proper installation and reasonably cohesive soils, it becomes a challenge to remove the anchors when it's time to change QTH--although probably not as difficult as removing a concrete bunker! In some cases, rain can cause the anchors to shift slightly, as evidenced by changes in guy tension--again, probably related to soil expanding and contracting with the moisture. WA8LLY was concerned about the holding capability of his screw-in anchor in his soft soil. He installed one, and tried pulling it out with a jeep, and succeeded in burying the jeep in the soil! Rohn may make something larger than the 4-foot model mentioned above. And utility companies use screw-in anchors quite frequently. I'm also told that mobile home installers use some type of anchor device to protect mobile homes from winds and earthquakes, but I haven't checked that out. Finally, K0SF mentions A.B. Chance Company, in Centralia, MO. They've been making guy anchors for 80 years (must be a real solid company), including some that are large enough to keep the earth from rotating. A courteous phone call to them at 314-682-5521, asking for their "Encyclopedia of Anchoring" will yield an interesting book outlining various options for guy anchoring. They specialize in the heavy-duty stuff that is installed by an auger-type device (sounds better than the two sweat-free guys in the Rohn book). Their hardware is probably heftier than that required for most installations, but if you have special issues (like K0SF who is guying a 130-foot tower in a swamp), they may be able to help. The many responses were most welcome. For my installation, I was having nightmares about a concrete truck making an unscheduled visit into my septic system on the way back to pour concrete for guy anchors. It appears that the screw-in approach may be an appropriate solution, at least for me. Thanks, gents! 73, Phil - N6ZZ N6ZZ@AOL.COM --------- From: N6ZZ@aol.com To: cq-contest@tgv.com Date: Sat, 10 Sep 94 07:51:55 EDT Subject: ANCHORS - SCREW-IN vs EXPANDING After reviewing responses to my screw-in guy anchor query, I decided to install some heavy screw-ins. Instead of the ones that Rohn sells, which are 4-foot long & have a 6-inch diameter plate, I went for 6-footers with an 8-inch plate. Two very strong guys (thankfully, I wasn't one of 'em) spent an hour trying to install anchor #1. They got it in about 4 feet, and ran into some rock. By this time, they did not look at all like the smiling workers pictured in the Rohn catalog installing one of their anchors! Another half-hour of effort to install, including use of two 5-foot bars to increase torque on the screw-in, succeeded in bending the 1-inch shaft of the anchor! After the guys went away (and they were real crabby), I found a company that installs poles for the utility companies in this area, and asked 'em if they used machines to install screw-in anchors. They said that they don't use screw-ins in this area at all because of the rocks in the soil! They use what's called an expanding anchor. They drill a hole through the soil (or, in my case, rock) just big enough to admit the un-expanded anchor to whatever depth the anchor is going to be installed at. The anchor & rod are placed into the hole, and then they use another rod to pound on the anchor which makes it expand into undisturbed soil. The anchor looks like a flower bud when it's unexpanded, and then when they expand it, it flattens out and sticks into the surrounding soil. Then, the hole is filled and tamped. This outfit installed 3 anchors in one hour and charged me $300 total for anchors and labor. The drill was on a tractor-type device that could get into fairly tight areas and left only moderate dents in the lawn. I think I should have made the second phone call first----thanks for your input! Phil - N6ZZ N6ZZ@AOL.COM ----------- From: scotty@iquest.com (Scotty Neustadter) To: n6zz@aol.com Date: 96-06-25 19:44:55 EDT Phil, We have been using the trailer tie down screw in anchors (augers0 here in Huntsville Alabama for Field Day for at least 10 years. The anchors are approximately 2.5 ft long and have two blades on them. Most of the blades are about 4 to 5 inches in diameter. Some of the newer one have a 4 to 5 inch then a 6 to 7 inch blade. We install them using the tool that is designed for the job. It is a 1/2 horse motor geared down to about 6 RPM, with two long handles to react the torque. The motor can twist the shaft of the auger (> 1/2" steel shaft). The augers come with a bolt that is split along its length so that the trailer bailing strap can be put through the slit then tightened. They would also make great temporary guy anchors during installations. 73 Scotty Neustadter, N4PYD HARC FD Chair.