Crane Day

August 21, 2025 K5ZD w8

While Mike WA3C and I may have been able to get the Moxon to the top of the tower, it just didn’t seem like it would be worth the risk. Mike knew a crane company that he had used and recommended. We scheduled the date about 3 weeks in advance with the hope that the weather would be good.

With a crane, you pay from when they leave the yard until they return. You can buy 4 hours or 8 hours. It was about a 45-minute drive each. I was hoping we could get the job done quickly, but we ended up using about 6 hours. Still well worth the expense!

The crane arrived about 8:15am.

A 55-ton crane was a bit more than I needed, but I couldn’t find anything smaller in the area. It barely fit between the buildings and had to be stabilized to account for the slope.

We decided to use cell phones to communicate between the crane operator and me. It worked out really well since I could use earbuds and keep my hands free. Once things were ready, I started climbing. When I got to the to,p I was surprised to turn around and find the mast already halfway up to me!

The 20-foot mast dropped through the thrust bearing, and I put a clamp on it to keep just a few feet sticking out of the top of the tower.

It was time to bring up the Moxon.

Sorry, no pictures from the top of the tower. I was too focused on getting the work done as quickly as possible!

Once the 40 was attached, we used the crane to lift the mast. I dressed the feedline and taped it off as we went. Once it was in the right place, I bolted down the thrust bearing and a second clamp for safety.

It was time to raise the first 5-el 20m.