[VHFcontesting] Telescoping mast

[Zack Widup]

I've received quite a few replies from people about this. Thanks to all of
those who replied!

Several people have said they have used EMT pipe as masts, and quite a few
people have told me not to use it because it bends easily. A few people
recommended fiberglass and a few said not to use fiberglass. So I'm not
completely sure which way I'm going to go, but I didn't say in my original
posting what I wanted it for.

I have been doing portable operations for many years using the Radio Shack
stackable 5-foot long steel mast sections. I have used these to put up
antennas up to 20 feet using a very simple tilt-over base. I have no
problem with that arrangement with Yagis for 144 MHz and up. But my 6 meter
beam is unwieldy. It is four elements on a 13 foot boom. It's difficult for
me to put it up by myself using a tilt-over base. It's difficult to balance
one end of the beam on the ground while fastening it to the mast and
raising it. Once a strong wind caught the antenna and tilted it as I was
putting it up, snapping off half of the reflector.

So I figure if I can mount some sort of telescoping mast vertically and use
that to push up the 6m beam, there is less risk of damaging it.

I'm trying to keep the cost down, so I'm looking into aluminum tubing
sections that nest into the next size up.

73, Zack W9SZ


On Mon, Jun 13, 2016 at 10:51 AM, Zack Widup <w9sz.zack at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi, does anyone here have any experience with building a telescoping mast
> out of EMT pipe sections? Specifically the 1.25, 1.5 and 2 inch O.D. pipes.
>
> I'm thinking of making something with them for portable and rover
> operations.
>
> 73, Zack W9SZ
>
>
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