[Towertalk] Source for masts?

[K7LXC@aol.com]

In a message dated 3/30/02 4:57:52 AM Pacific Standard Time, n9en@voyager.net 
writes:

> I am looking for a source for 10' long by 1/4" wall galvanized
>  steel masts. I see that Texas Towers no longer carries this
>  size and length of mast. Does anypne know who sells this
>  particular size of mast?

    US Towers carries some but the freight will be kind of pricey to anywhere.

    Your best bet is to check your local yellow pages for steel suppliers or 
do a web search.
>  
>  I am thinking of visiting my local plumbing distributor and
>  buying a 21' length of 1-1/2" schedule 80 galvanized steel
>  pipe. I don't need a mast that will be subjected to extreme
>  loads; my one application will have a HyGain 105BA
>  mounted above a HyGain 155BA, seperated by a distance
>  of 8'.  The 1-1/2" schedule 80 pipe has a wall thickness of
>  .200" and I would think that this would be adequate for my
>  application, although a mast with a .250" wall thickness
>  would be much better.
>  
    Okay - first things first. What's your county windspeed rating? If you 
don't know, you can go to  <A HREF="http://www.championradio.com">
www.championradio.com</A> and look under Tech Notes. Let me know what the 
windspeed rating is and I'll make a quick calculation to get you started. 

    While schedule 80 and other PIPES are heavy - they're not strong. They're 
used to carry liquids and aren't rated for strength. 

    For most mast applications, you want steel alloy TUBING; they are rated 
for strength. The most common tubing available is the SAE 1026 or 1027 which 
has a yield strength of around 65,000 psi which is plenty for most HF 
stacking applications. 

Cheers,
Steve     K7LXC
TOWER TECH -
Professional tower services for amateurs