[TowerTalk] Schedule 40 pipe or HD aluminum mast?

[Wyllma Wall]

Hi Dave and all,
Dave is right.   Do not use water pipe. Water pipe is a soft alloy metal.  3/8"
wall T-6, T-7 X 2" OD aluminum tubing is very good as long as the length is not
over 8'out of the tower top piece.
Buy one more section of tower, before trying to save a $ on a longer mast pipe.
Bill Wall Kc4UZ

thompson@mindspring.com wrote:

> Don't use schedule 40 water pipe for a long mast.   Its OK if the mast goes
> to a rotor just below, but anything over 3 or 4 feet
> is asking for problems.  Schedule 40 is designed for flow inside not outside
> strength.   Several in Atlanta have had good luck with thick wall
> aluminum from Tull Metals.   The usual is to stack 4 or 5 el mono banders on
> a 20' piece.  The aluminum cost $150 in the early 80's and its probably
> double that now.   I use the IIX ladder mast 18' and have a 2 el X beam for
> 12 at the bottom, a KT34XA at 76.5' and a 2 el 40
> at 86' with a 2 meter isopole at the top.   Its been thru 2 tornadoes, 2
> hurricanes (one with 85 mph wind) and lasted longer than any other mast (17
> years) I have had.   IIX advertises in QST et al.
>
> 73 Dave K4JRB
>
> --
> FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/towertalk
> Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com
> Administrative requests:  towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
> Problems:                 owner-towertalk@contesting.com


--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/towertalk
Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-towertalk@contesting.com