Mt. Lemmon Tower Installation

SWCRS Volunteers

• Henry N7HND / WQII718
• David K6DSA / WQVS960
• Bill KG7HHG / WQXE928
• Darren K7VLL / WRCU527
• Andrew W7RUN / WRNR761
• Glenn WROH614
• Larry WRPN676
• Todd WSAB543

Summary

Yesterday, a dedicated team of volunteers from the Southwest Community Radio System (SWCRS) gathered on Mt. Lemmon to erect a new 70-foot radio tower, marking a significant milestone in the recovery efforts following the destruction caused by a record winter storm almost two years ago. This storm had brought the original tower down, impacting communication capabilities of the site which is currently running on an alternate antenna system.

The day began with favorable weather, providing the volunteers with an ideal window to undertake the challenging task. Throughout the day, the team worked diligently ensuring each section of the tower was securely erected using a gin pole to set each new section above the installed secured sections, and repeating to get up high. The final segment, which will complete the tower, is scheduled to be set via crane in September as it is especially heavy. As the day drew to a close, the team worked through a light hail storm, a precursor to the heavier weather that was forecasted to move into the area later in the day.

With the tower now standing, the next phase of the project will focus on installing cable raceways and management systems. This will be followed by the gradual installation of antennas, a process expected to span several months. The team is optimistic that these enhancements will significantly improve the site’s performance before the onset of winter, ensuring robust and reliable communication capabilities for the community not just for this group, but other amateur users at the site as well.

The successful erection of the tower would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the volunteers; as Mt. Lemmon is in its Mexican Spotted Owl breeding season until September, all work was done manually without heavy equipment per Forest Service policies. A heartfelt thanks goes out to to all that helped. A critical piece of infrastructure serving the Tucson radio community has been restored, highlighting the ability of our great group of volunteers to get things done!