Wade recommends a Gin Pole for their towers be 15' long x 1-3/4" OD x 16 gauge.

Yep, I think the length and material of the gin pole can be customized to suit the situation and plans. For a low mass antenna like a rotorless 4-bay on top of a light tower like a Delhi GN 18 ga. a smaller gin pole could be used.

For my install, I secured the coax and rotor cable the the final top section on the ground, then hoisted it carefully. After installing the mast and making the connections, I taped off the wires during my descent on the tower.

That makes a lot of sense. I would also be tempted to install the rotor, on the mounting plate, the bearring on the top plate and the mast between the two and test it while on the ground to make sure everything is nicely aligned and working. They wouldn't add much weight and I wouldn't want to be debugging problems 70' in the air. I would be tempted to lift the antenna seperately however.

With separate UHF and VHF antennas I've always mounted the UHF at the top of the mast on the ground, first because reception is better that way, and second because it is lighter and therefore safer to lift that high without the big VHF on it. I pull it up to the top of the tower and put it into place on the rotor or bracket. By pulling up the VHF antenna later and attaching it lower I can hold the mast with one hand while manipulating the big antenna's mast clamp into position, then go "hands free" (wearing a safety belt or carabiner harness, of course!) to tighten it.

Yep, that's what I did: Installed and tested the rotor while on the ground.

I even used Turtle Wax to wax the rotor bell, top plate, and rotor plate. This will hopefully allow snow and rain to slide off nicely...

I will be tearing down section by section a 40' Delhi that was assembled in the mid seventies and is still standing as solid as hell. I see what looks like six rusted bolts (or or those the stop rivets you were referring to in the earlier thread?) per tower section. My plan is (with a second person) to remove each tower section from top to bottom.

I've found all kinds of info online about these towers including recommended methods of assembly. There is no antenna (it came down years ago) on the top.

Any advice on the teardown would be appreciated.

I'm assuming that you intend to re-use the tower? If so, read on.

Non-destructive tear down is essentially reverse of the installation process. However, in this case, I would highly recommend a gin-pole. You'll be lifting up the tower section after removing the bolts...and with age and the effects of weather, this may require some force. Once the section is free, you don't want it falling, or swinging (on a tether) back and injuring you. A gin pole would allow someone on the ground to hold the slack and assist in the lift.

Remove all cables, wiring, etc., before beginning.

If it's feasible, I would consider renting a scissor lift for the operation. Otherwise, a strong harness, secured to the section below the one you're removing, is necessary.

The bolts you see are what join the sections. The stop rivet (if still present) is just below the bolts. The rivet does not have a hex head. I've seen stop rivets fall out of older towers--therefore it's important to verify the rivets are still in place before removing the bolts. Otherwise, the section could unexpectedly give way and injure you.

Wade Delhi sells bolt kits and base pegs for all of their towers (even those from the 70's). I would highly recommend discarding the bolts from this install and going with new stuff. The kits are cheap, and you'll likely break or strip a few bolts in the removal process anyway. The base pegs are necessary, as you cannot recover the old ones from the concrete.

Use only bolts specifically made for Wade Delhi towers.

Thank You Jase 88.

I'll work on a decent gin pole this week. The teardown isn't until next Monday and re-assembly is at my home during the same week.

I'll the re-assembly kit you suggested from a local Delhi rep in Ottawa.

Is this a free-standing tower? If so, double check the base! Some Delhi towers have hinged base pegs. This would drastically ease your teardown, as you could simply winch or block and tackle the tower down, then take it apart.

The Delhi website shows the following distributor in Ottawa:

Ottawa
Company: Alpha Beta Group
Address: 945 Pinewood Cres.
Postal Code: K2B 5Y3
Phone: (613) 596-5880
Fax: (613) 596-3019

Remember, allow plenty of time for installation. You're going to need to dig a hole 4' deep by 38" squared, and pour 1.54 cubic feet of ready-mix concrete (minimum). The concrete will need to set for a few weeks. And it will take a few weeks for your new parts to arrive at the dealer.

Installation instructions (http://www.tvantenna.com/products/tvreception/mounting/towers/taco/dmx/DMXinstructions.pdf)

Don't forget the ground rod (which you'll need to hammer into the bottom of the hole) and the ground wire.

It is free standing at the home its been at for over 35 years but I have eye hooks strategically cemented in the ground in case I need to install guy cables (winds in my area have reached up to 100km/h!!).

Thanks once again Jase88. The attachment is exactly what I need.

Wish me luck. I'll take pics and add them to my gallery.

Cheers

Use only bolts specifically made for Wade Delhi towersWhat is the technical reason for that? If it is for anti-shearing strength a set of hardened Grade 8 bolts should do the trick.

What is the technical reason for that? If it is for anti-shearing strength a set of hardened Grade 8 bolts should do the trick.

To ensure they meet their technical specifications including shear strength and corrosion resistance. If you have a good fastener shop, you might be able to find something there, but you wouldn't want to just buy bolts from Canadian Tire or Rona. Regardless, it is safest to get them directly from Wade Delhi to ensure they are up to spec.

That's sensible advice, but with an SAE Grade 8 bolt the shearing force and tensile strength won't be an issue, and their heat treated alloy is corrosion-resistant. For warranty purposes on a new Wade-Delhi tower then you absolutely must follow their instructions to the detail. If you're putting up a used tower you can safely use a Grade 8 bolt but never, never a lower grade! :eek:

an SAE Grade 8 bolt the shearing force and tensile strength won't be an issue, and their heat treated alloy is corrosion-resistant.

The alloy may be more corrosion-resistant (though I haven't read anything to confirm this), but bolts can also have additional coatings (ex. Zinc Plating, Hot Dip Galvanizing or Chrome) to provide additional corrosion protection. The grade of the bolt only indicates the material and how much the bolt has been hardened; it does not indicate what type of coating it has (if any).

In the case of galvanized bolts, special nuts are required that are tapped slightly larger to accommodate this coating.

Also, you should always replace bolts with ones of exactly the same grade. A higher grade shouldn't be used as they are sometimes more brittle and might fail in certain applications.

For more information see About Fastener Materials (http://www.k-tbolt.com/material_grade.html).

@Stampeder: The fastener industry has an enormous problem with counterfeiting. Few people really question the origin of fasteners, and this has enabled the problem to become as pervasive as it is.

Delhi rountinely tests their hardware. Their product is sold to governments and the military. I just feel safer buying fasteners from them, knowing it meets the actual required specifications.

Just a correction to above: You'll need to pour 1.54 cubic yards of concrete (not feet!) as a minimum base.

Hello everyone,

I'm just getting into the OTA scene have been doing a bit of researching and have settled on a CM4221HD antenna.

Now I have an existing satellite dish on my balcony and would like to replace that dish with the antenna. I searched here and found someone that did this as but did not disclose how he/she did it.

I took pictures of my existing setup, I believe I have two options here.

Is it possible to remove the actual dish and replace it with the antenna?

http://i31.tinypic.com/au8u8z.jpg
BACK OF DISH

Or there is a bar that holds the satellite's can I just find a bar to attach it to the existing bar?

http://i31.tinypic.com/2djz2vb.jpg



Thank you for your help. I apologize if this topic has been covered before .

I found the answer to my question by actually buying the satellite. The 4221HD comes with a bracket that will clamp on to the existing satellite arm.

All I did was take off the dish and replace it with the antenna.

SAE Grade 8 bolt the shearing force and tensile strength won't be an issue, and their heat treated alloy is corrosion-resistant

Regular SAE grades of bolts are not made of any special corrosion resistant material, just low or medium carbon steel possibly with some boron added to assist in the heat treat for some of the higher grades. The only protection they have is the blackening, which will only give minimal protection. For outdoor use galvanized or stainless hardware should be used.

IMHO if you find Bolt&nut supply or Fasten all in your area than they can supply you with SAE gr8 Zinc coated bolts and nuts. If my memory serves me SAE gr8 are also available in TSC with zinc-die-chromate coating.