[VHFcontesting] Stacking Frame Questions

[Donald M. Ross]

One for the guru's.

I am finally getting around to building up the VHF/UHF stack on the tower
and have some questions about building the frame for the antennas.
Intellectually, I know that I want to build something non-metallic so that
it doesn't affect the radiation patterns, but I am stumped as to how to do
this.

The plan is to stack two M2 2M18XXX on the left side of the array and an M2
220-7WL, an M2 432-13WLA, and an M2 23CM23EZ (to be replaced eventually with
a 35 element one) on the right hand side.  I've sent an e-mail to M2 about
stacking distances, but since the horizontal stacking distance of the
18XXX's is 14' I think that I'm looking at something no longer/wider than
16'.  The array needs to be strong enough to support the antennas and handle
moderate winds since it will be on a hazer and lowered when I am traveling
or the winds get to be aggressive.

I've seen ads for solid fiberglass rods, but only in maximum lengths of 8'.
Is there a way to join them together or does someone know of a source for
longer ones?

I'd really like to hear of your successes (and failures so that I don't take
the same road) and opinions.

I'd like to have it up for September, but am probably looking more logically
on January before the array is fully tested and in the air.

Don Ross, NL CO/EM04