Tower on a budget?

[n9viw]

Hey all! Not new, but new here (sorta). Don't get in here often, I work too much.

I'm not a cheapskate but I try to watch the dollars, and cell phones are expensive. Also, they're pushing this 5G crap, and I don't like what I read about it. We also don't like how cell phones listen to us and then pitch ads to us about what we were talking about! Bloody creepy. We were discussing comms the other day, especially in a SHTF situation, and I brought up good ol CB. I have plenty of mobile rigs to go in the cars, but she also wants something for the house. No problem, I have an old Palomar vertical with ground planes that I picked up at an auction about 15 years ago and never put up. I have an old Cobra 135 I bought from a gal online who was getting rid of her late husband's stuff, same- never even powered it up so I hope it still works.

I live on a hilltop but am surrounded by oak forest, so we have trees in the yard that are 30'+. I know I need to 'get up to get out', but towers are bloody expensive too! I've been casting about on Craigslist and marketplace and such, but haven't found one for a good price that wasn't a pile of rusted scrap metal.

Anyone have any suggestions for a good tower that won't break the bank? Might also hang a multi-band ham antenna and the TV antenna on it too, so it has to be sturdy.

TIA,
+-=Z=-+

[De_Wildfire]

Watch out for ham radio clubs that are doing estate sales. The older generation is down sizing to retirement homes and assistant living places so clubs have "lists" that circulate. Also, older hams that have become silent keys also have estate sales. Our radio club picked up a 65 foot ROHN quality tower for $150 from a estate sale and we had help taking it down. This tower is now on our new repeater site. If you can tune into any repeaters, find out if there is an estate sales in the area. Also, check out hamfests. Towers tend to end up there and everything is negotiable. They don't really want to take it home with them. Shoot for a hex beam for the tower. They don't have to be that high so a lower tower would save money too. I've worked all over the world on it including Antarctica and it's about 33 feet high on a pole. They have a small foot print and the wind goers right through it. As the trees sway in the wind, the hex beam looks like it is standing still. Hope this helps.

[443 Arizona]

hi Nick, its not hard to build a tower if you have a welder, standing it up becomes the task.
i did one using 1" steel tube, in a tri-post design, put 5/16 rod laddered and zig-zaged, added a 2" steel tube in the center to crank it up another 18' and on top of that put a smaller 10' to get me even higher, 47' total, plus the ant.
lowered it is still 29' tall plus ant. but that is free-standing, bolted to concrete with no guy-wires and has held up during 70mph wind,
i want to build a bigger one someday, but this one has served me well for ~35yrs.
i might volunteer to build you one but i have 1,396 projects of my own
and dont forget to put an 8' groundrod under it.
i'll see if i can get a pix posted.

[MDYoungblood]

It seems towers in my area are plentiful, with satellite and cable TV no one uses the outside TV antennas anymore. I see ads on local classifieds (Nextdoor app) and FB Marketplace usually pretty cheap. My only problem for getting a couple and installing them is my age but I still have plans!

3's

Greg

[De_Wildfire]

I know someone around here who got a 70 foot tower for free. If you get a tower, check the FAA regulations. He had to paint his tower red and white. Someone passed away and the son wanted it off the property fast to sell the house plus there were liability issues of kids climbing the tower. There may be someone that has a tower up for years and not being used. MDYYoung blood had a great suggestion too.

[443 Arizona]

anyone built any(cb/ham) towers lately?

[Lost Ram]

I need to get mine up, been procrastinating for a few months now. Need to get my two 50' rohn 25 up for my two beams. Got a Mako VC4 for 10 meter and a Mako shooting star for 11 Meter.