[TowerTalk] masts.

[rt_clay at bellsouth.net]

>In a message dated 6/1/2007 9:13:46 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
>km1h at jeremy.mv.com writes:

>  At a former QTH with less wind exposure I had a 20/15/10  stack of W2PV 
>4el monobanders on 20' of 2 3/8 OD galvanized cast pipe.  Except for eating 
>rotators (Daiwa and Create even using 2 thrust bearings)  it survived just 
>fine thru many northeasters, CAT 2 & 3 hurricanes and  ice storms while on 
>100' of 25G. Im sure that there are many parts of  the country that cast pipe would fail 
>but dont discount it  altogether.

>In other words, you lucked  out!
> 
>Cheers,
>Steve    K7LXC
>TOWER TECH 

Also...if you are only planning on a single moderately-sized (i.e. not a 40m full sized) antenna immediately above a thrust bearing, I don't see anything wrong with using heavy-wall conduit for a mast. 

I use heavy-wall conduit from Lowes for masts on both of my towers. One has a Force 12 EF420/240, the other a 6 el 15m with 36' boom. Both are only an inch or so above the thrust bearings, with nothing stacked above them (ok, there is a TV antenna on one mast). Both have been through storms nearly up to our 70mph county windspeed.

Torsten
N4OGW