[BC] WFIN Findlay OH loses tower

[Mike Holderfield]

Mike,

I don't understand what is wrong with these towers when properly 
maintained. One of my stations has one very similar if not identical to 
the one in the pictures. It is 320' 24" face with legs that are two 
pieces of reverse flared channel bolted together. There are two guy 
anchor points per side. It was erected in 1947 and taken down and 
re-erected 2 years later at another location. In 1964 12 Horizontal & 12 
Vertical FM bays were added to the tower along with 3" heliax. I added a 
three wire unipole in 1986. It has been through two hurricanes (Eloise & 
Opal). It is as heavily galvanized as any tower I have ever seen.
It just doesn't appear to be a cheap tower to me.
It is now 60 years old and I would have no reservation with
climbing it tomorrow if I could.

mikie

Mike McCarthy wrote:
> It's one of those el-cheapo Wind Charger type towers with angle legs 
> common in this area. And not a small one either...24" it appears.  Looks 
> like it snapped at a section joint where the bolts rusted through. Once 
> again, this shows all the signs of capital neglect. Look at the droop in 
> the port side guy lines in the picture and I'll bet that tower hadn't 
> been tensioned/plumbed in years.  With all the winds the past 48 hours, 
> I'll bet that thing whip lashed itself apart.
> 
> MM
>