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Re: [TowerTalk] Temporary tower/antenna question

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Temporary tower/antenna question
From: Jim Lux <jimlux@earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:18:25 -0800
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
On 2/1/13 1:36 PM, K7LXC@aol.com wrote:
Howdy, TowerTalkians --

     I'm researching temporary antenna installations  (like Field Day) and
was wondering if you have some input. What did you  use? How did you erect
it? Materials? Hints and kinks?

     This is with an eye towards safety and  effectiveness. I don't need
real specifics (like what antenna to use) but  general thoughts and
considerations. Tnx for any input.


Temporary guys.. We've used static line (non-stretchy kernmantle rope) to guy a tower trailer as well as a "iwo jima" erected 20 foot (two sections of 25, I think). I don't know how good it really is if the wind comes up, especially because the anchors are something like steel t-stakes.


For myself, I've recently been fooling with one of those 40 foot carbon fiber collapsible masts. It works pretty well (albeit a bit bendy at the top), but you need some way to support the bottom upright, particularly during erection. In any case, it nicely supports a couple inverted Vs at right angles which also serve as "quasi-guys".. I do expect it to collapse in any decent wind, but the wires and nylon cord (mason's twine in nice visible dayglo colors) do help prevent it from waving around.

I run a tuner at the base, and RG-8X up the mast. Velcro works very well to hold the wires to the mast as you erect so they're not waving around. I have given serious thought to a sort of improvised open wire line.. basically bring 4 loose wires down the side roughly distributed evenly. Who cares what the Z is, because the tuner will take care of it.

Some years ago I was trying to build a field deployable phased array made with 4 verticals using collapsible fishing poles (20 foot from Cabela), but I don't know that it gives enough performance improvement. I think the extra height from the 40 foot pole and using the crossed dipoles to form a null is as effective.

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