[TowerTalk] Mounting a 4x4 in concrete

[Robert Moore]

I have used this sytem for years, it works great.  No need for concrete, just tamp loose moist dirt very tightly around the 4X in the hole.  It will be very tight and last as long as you want to use it.  I have used this system for wood posts and metal pipes up to 25'.  The 4X's (either 4x4, 2x6, 4x6, depending what you have at the moment) 2-3' in the ground and 4' above.  I live in a windy area in the mountains with at times a good snow/ice load on the wires.............Bob, KI6IV
 

RICHARD BOYD <ke3q at msn.com> wrote:
I would think the on-concrete mount would work but you'll have to guy the 
4x4.
Losing 4' of the height is not too big a deal for the theoretical 
performance gain or loss you will experience. Putting the 4x4 in the ground 
and in concrete should make a nice strong support.

Since you're trying to get every foot of height you can, you might want to 
consider the old ARRL Handbook (or was it ARRL Antenna Book?) style of 
support, where you add to the 4x4 in the ground a pair of 4x4s bolted 
outside it, then another one bolted inside those two to get a lot more 
height. And, if done right, maybe even using a boat winch, you can tilt it 
over. With that sort of system and your fiberglass mast you could get up 
pretty high.

73 - Rich, KE3Q


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Derek Cohn/WB0TUA" 
To: 
Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2004 12:45 AM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Mounting a 4x4 in concrete


Dear All,

I'm trying to elevate my very low dipole that is fed with balanced line. 
I'm trying to go with a non-metallic support so the balanced line does not 
interact. My dipole is currently 18' in the air.

I recently purchased a 22' fiberglass mast from The Mast Co. This is their 
heavy duty windsock pole. I'm planning on mounting it to a 20' redwood 4x4 
with the Kwik-Block mounting blocks they also sold me. I plan to set the 4 
x4 in concrete.

I checked around and one of the local deck builders says I need to put about 
4' of the redwood 4x4 into the concrete. That would reduce my effective 
height of the 4x4 to 16'. If I overlap the fiberglass mast a foot or two, I 
have 16' + 20' = 36' which is roughly double the height I have now.

What do you guys think about the 4' of 4x4 into the ground. Too much, too 
little, just right? I noticed that you can put l-bolts into the concrete 
footer and mount a u-shaped bracket on top of the footer that will accept 
the 4x4. This is advertised for deck applications and I think it wouldn't 
support 20 feet of 4x4. However, it would give me four more feet of height 
if it could be made to work. Has anyone tried this?

73,

Derek Cohn
Morse Telegraph Club - Alton Chapter
Telegraph Office UD, sine DJ
Amateur Radio Station - WB0TUA
1969 M274A5 Mechanical Mule
_______________________________________________

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