[TowerTalk] Wire Antenna Supports

[N4ZR]

On the other hand, if you guy the pole up ten feet or so, then the 
lateral forces at the bottom are really trivial, and almost anything 
from a ground rod to a T-post will do fine.

Enough time has passed so that I think I can tell a story - back in the 
mid-70's, the State Department radio club had a shack in a room at the 
top of an 8-story State Department Annex building.  We weren't allowed 
to pierce the roof, so we got 20 feet of Rohn 25 and secured it at the 
base by "guys" that ran from the bottom of the base base horizontally to 
cast-iron vent pipes on the roof.  We put a Moseley CL-36 on it, and it 
lasted until well after I had left State in 1979.  I understand that a 
derecho straight-line wind storm eventually blew it part-way off the 
roof - I'm glad  I wasn't around then to answer questions from the 
building manager.

73, Pete N4ZR
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On 2/16/2021 7:54 PM, Lux, Jim wrote:
> On 2/16/21 4:18 PM, Michael Poteet wrote:
>> This is a request for opinions.  I am thinking about putting up a wire
>> antenna.  At my age (81) I have no interest in climbing towers, trees 
>> or the
>> roof.  Nor I am I interested in installing any support that requires a
>> concrete base or that weighs over 100 pounds.
>>
>> I've noted there are at least a couple of telescoping masts (up to 50 
>> feet)
>> that could be used to support simple wire antennas (when guyed
>> appropriately).  One is carbon fiber, the other is aluminum.  Is 
>> there any
>> advantage of one of these over the other for "permanent" antenna 
>> support?
>> Initial cost is not a factor.
>
>
>
> I have one of the 40-ish foot carbon fiber collapsible poles. It's 
> fairly sturdy and easy to put up, but the top part *does* bend (it's 
> pretty small, think fishing rod tip).
>
> The challenge is coming up with a way to support the bottom so it 
> stands vertically.
>
> You don't want a big concrete base, which makes supporting a 
> challenge, to resist the overturning moment from wind loads and the 
> wire. With a 40 foot lever arm it doesn't take much force at the top 
> to have impressive forces at the bottom.
>
> I've tried things like driving a 8 foot T-post about 5 feet in, 
> leaving 3 feet sticking up, and lashing a vertical to that.  Aside 
> from the spectacular "trip hazard" of the T post, even with a tennis 
> ball on the top, it *will* bend or shift if the antenna is loaded.  
> And that's a fair amount of work to drive (my shoulders and back felt 
> it for days).
>
> What kind of surface are you putting this mast up over? Grass? dirt?
>
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