[TowerTalk] Mast Material

[Steve Maki]

On 3/13/2016 9:01 PM, Richard (Rick) Karlquist wrote:

>> A good alternative to schedule 40 pipe is the tubing used nowadays for
>> fence top rails, known as SS40. It's lighter (thinner wall) but stronger
>> and actually less expensive than galvanized sch. 40 pipe if purchased
>> from the right place.
>>
>> We routinely use it on cell sites for antenna masts in place of sch. 40.
>>
>> Here are the specs:
>>
>> http://www.hooverfence.com/catalog/chart.htm
>>
>> -Steve K8LX

> Note that the outer diameter of fence tubing will always
> be the same as the outer diameter of some standard water
> pipe size.  E.G. Both "1 7/8 inch" fence tubing
> and "1 1/2 inch" water pipe (any schedule) actually
> have an outer diameter of 1.900 inch.  Either can be
> shimmed with standard 2" OD aluminum irrigation pipe with
> 0.050 inch wall to fit standard 2.000" mast clamps
> or bearings.
>
> I don't know why they make fence tubing and pipes the
> same size.  One theory is that you if you want to build
> a fence on steroids, water pipe can be substituted for
> fence tubing very easily.  (Attention:  Donald Trump :-)
> Or maybe they make both of them on the same equipment.
> (Obviously, I have spent way too much time loitering
> in hardware stores.)

Hehe.

But I'm not sure why substituting schedule 40 for SS40 in fence 
applications or any other (except plumbing perhaps) would be an 
*upgrade*. A quick search didn't yield specs for sch. 40 that would lend 
itself to an applicable comparison, but the fence people claim that SS40 
is *stronger* than sch. 40.

In the fence business there are numerous tee couplers, etc. already 
sized for stand sch 40 OD's, which probably drove the size constraints 
for SS40.

-Steve K8LX