Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Today’s job is a proper step forward on the tower rebuild. In this first part, I strip down the original mast, fit the new GS-2800 rotator, correct some long-standing geometry issues around the hinge point, add a substantial insulated section, and begin rebuilding the tower with heavier-duty hardware and a new plan for the guying.
The long-term idea here is not just a stronger lift-up mast for the beam, but a structure that can eventually serve double-duty as part of a 160m vertical as well. That means thinking ahead now - insulation, support sleeves, thrust bearings, couplers, turnbuckles, shackles, and how the whole thing behaves while going up and down.
This is very much real-world prototyping in the field:
- taking the old mast down
- removing the beam
- rebuilding the lower section
- fitting the new rotator
- correcting the hinge arrangement
- testing the first section with revised guying
- adding the second steel pole
- and finally carrying out a cautious test lift
I also talk through the design thinking as I go - including why I’m changing to Dyneema guys, why I’ve moved away from the original arrangement, and how I’m trying to make the whole system stronger, smoother and more repeatable.
The camera gave up near the end, so the final lift is shown via the field camera. Part 2 will continue with the next stage of the tower build, final alignment, and getting the extended mast up to its finished working height.
Thanks for watching.
00:00 Tower upgrade begins
00:38 Building the insulator section
03:30 Dropping the old mast
06:49 Removing the beam and stripping down
10:50 Shim and rotator fitting
11:55 Correcting the hinge point
13:22 Mounting the GS-2800
14:43 New guying plan explained
17:34 Rebuilding the lower section
25:25 Next day - upgraded hardware
30:27 Rethinking the design
32:56 Reworking the guy anchors
36:55 First section back up
42:32 Plan for Dyneema guys
51:57 Heavy-duty coupler and second pole
54:40 Final test lift
#hamradio #amateurradio #tower #rotator #dxcommander
Today’s job is a proper step forward on the tower rebuild. In this first part, I strip down the original mast, fit the new GS-2800 rotator, correct some long-standing geometry issues around the hinge point, add a substantial insulated section, and begin rebuilding the tower with heavier-duty hardware and a new plan for the guying.
The long-term idea here is not just a stronger lift-up mast for the beam, but a structure that can eventually serve double-duty as part of a 160m vertical as well. That means thinking ahead now - insulation, support sleeves, thrust bearings, couplers, turnbuckles, shackles, and how the whole thing behaves while going up and down.
This is very much real-world prototyping in the field:
- taking the old mast down
- removing the beam
- rebuilding the lower section
- fitting the new rotator
- correcting the hinge arrangement
- testing the first section with revised guying
- adding the second steel pole
- and finally carrying out a cautious test lift
I also talk through the design thinking as I go - including why I’m changing to Dyneema guys, why I’ve moved away from the original arrangement, and how I’m trying to make the whole system stronger, smoother and more repeatable.
The camera gave up near the end, so the final lift is shown via the field camera. Part 2 will continue with the next stage of the tower build, final alignment, and getting the extended mast up to its finished working height.
Thanks for watching.
00:00 Tower upgrade begins
00:38 Building the insulator section
03:30 Dropping the old mast
06:49 Removing the beam and stripping down
10:50 Shim and rotator fitting
11:55 Correcting the hinge point
13:22 Mounting the GS-2800
14:43 New guying plan explained
17:34 Rebuilding the lower section
25:25 Next day - upgraded hardware
30:27 Rethinking the design
32:56 Reworking the guy anchors
36:55 First section back up
42:32 Plan for Dyneema guys
51:57 Heavy-duty coupler and second pole
54:40 Final test lift
#hamradio #amateurradio #tower #rotator #dxcommander
