[TowerTalk] Aluminium telescopic mast

[jimlux]

On 7/17/19 8:47 AM, john wrote:
> As an alternative, who makes an inexpensive fiberglass or metal push up mast?  Say 30 or 40 foot.I'm thinking of making the "Unique HF Vertical" in the July QST page #39.Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

I have one of those 40 foot telescoping carbon fiber masts and it's 
pretty nice.  The tip is pretty small - I wouldn't want to put much mass 
up there, but for supporting a wire or 4 it works fine.

One of these:

http://www.spiderbeam.us/product_info.php?info=p3_Spiderbeam%20HD%2012m%20fiberglass%20pole.html




MFJ has a 33 foot telescoping fiberglass pole - 
https://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-1910
as well as a variety of other lengths.

I've stacked two extendable painters poles


if you want to go real inexpensive, and you don't mind rigging 
lightweight guys out of nylon cord/string..  Stack 10 foot lengths of 
PVC pipe.

For *ALL* of these, I've found the problem is not the pole, it's holding 
the pole upright.  Either you need guys (which can be very, very 
lightweight, but still, you have to rig them) or some *very* stiff 
mounting base.


I've also fooled with using things like collapsible panfish rods (also 
called crappie poles) which are very inexpensive for lengths like 
15'-20', and trying to figure a way to use *those* as guys/struts for a 
taller pole (like the spiderbeam pole)


My guideline requirement for the design is: "erected and operating in 
15-20 minutes" and "won't blow over in a 15-20 mi/hr breeze"

Turns out, that's pretty tough to do.

some not so wonderful tries:

http://home.earthlink.net/~w6rmk/antenna/tripod.htm - 3 painter's poles

http://home.earthlink.net/~w6rmk/antenna/mastcar.htm  - why not to hook 
a 50 foot mast to your roof rack