Any sources for telescoping mast?

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key2_altfire

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Hi guys, just wondering if anyone here has a preferred mast dealer. I know, Google it, but I figured I'd check with RR first! Looking for something that is less than 4' long collapsed, 30-50' when extended. Not sure about guys yet.

I would like to mount the mast to a small trailer. The trailer will be the base, and with a collapsible/telescoping mast I can pull it down for transport relatively easily. Plus, it's wife-friendly because I can sneak it up in the back yard. :) (Trailer will probably be one of those $200-$400 deals from Horrible Freight; I'll add outriggers if the pole is high enough.)
 

n8emr

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Your going to be hard pressed to get anything that folds down to 4ft to even hold itself up at 20+ ft. Guys will be a must.

How often do you plan on bring this up and down? I think you will the small HB trailers will not be enough.

What do you plan on putting on the mast?

Now if you have 10grand or so to spend you can get a hydraulic or air power mast like the TV crews use that will fold down pretty small.

I think you need to re-examine your plans. Let us know how often your going to go up and down with the mast, what your going to put on it. Also are you using the portable issue to get around the wife or HOA
 

zz0468

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You're not going to find anything that goes down to less than 4' that extends anywhere near that height. Take a minute and do the math. Figure that there will be some overlap of sections, so you'll maybe get 3 1/2 ' per section. Ten sections would be around 35 feet. Ten concentric telescoping tubes? It'll be 18" at the base and 1/2" at the top or some dumb thing, and it'll weigh a ton.

A more realistic approach would be 3 or 4 ten foot sections going to 25 or 30 feet. You can get telescoping aluminum tubing at metal supply houses. You can also get ready made telescoping masts designed for tv antennas. They nest down to 10 or so foot lengths.
 

k9rzz

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zz0468 said:
You're not going to find anything that goes down to less than 4' that extends anywhere near that height. Take a minute and do the math. Figure that there will be some overlap of sections, so you'll maybe get 3 1/2 ' per section. Ten sections would be around 35 feet. Ten concentric telescoping tubes? It'll be 18" at the base and 1/2" at the top or some dumb thing, and it'll weigh a ton.

A more realistic approach would be 3 or 4 ten foot sections going to 25 or 30 feet. You can get telescoping aluminum tubing at metal supply houses. You can also get ready made telescoping masts designed for tv antennas. They nest down to 10 or so foot lengths.

They are out there, but they aren't cheap.

This has been covered before ... I recall researching manufacturers online.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=telescoping+antenna+mast
 

N8RUS

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How about a telescoping flagpole??? They are pretty sturdy to accommadate a good sized flag. Uncommon USA Inc. has 'em. '16, 20, and 25' at least.
 

ka5lqj

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Telescoping mast.....

Hi,

I do believe you COULD find some telescoping TV mast, some to 40'. But, the bottom
section is at least 10' long with other's inside. They also won't be "cheap".

The "trailer" (at least 12 feet long) isn't going to be cheap either.

What I think you're envisuoning is a pull-behind trailer for "outings" and to be able to
either monitor or operate as either a CB'er or Ham while away from home. Certainly,
depening on the vehicle you drive this could be done with a 12' trailer and some 10' 6"
sections of swagged, cyclone fence top rail. I recommend assembling it, one inside
the other and on up. Then, taking some heavy, stiff, flat, metal bars on opposite sides
drill bolt holes above and below the joints and bolt it all together, when you have
"arrived" at you destination. Then, guy it off with strong rope, mount the suitable
antenna and "walk it up!" When you "break camp", just reverse the process.

If the antenna is light enough and you have enough rope guys, it possible to get 60'
up...Small VHF or UHF antennas ONLY. You don't want to try in putting up a 10 meter
yagi or quad this high up, LOL!

I have a 2m/70cm "J-pole" up at 30' using this method. Soon, I'll have a "Slim Jim"
antenna (GOOGLE) up at 60 feet for both VHF and UHF as well. These antennas will
be for receiving ONLY though.

Even with the 2m "J-pole" at 30', I can hit an 2m FM repeater "solid" 70 miles South
of me and can hit one 130 miles South of me, marginally. The wind has to be blowing
just right for the one in Alexandria, LA. Ha ha ha ha.

Now, all I need are some good, omni-directional, horizontal 2 meter & 70 cm ssb
antennas for local work and a good long-boom 2m & 70 cm quads for ssb long work.
These also can "double" for scanner antennas when not in Ham use.

I really DON'T need to try and put up any 800-900 mhz antennas. I get great reception
on my PRO-95 with just the short, 2" BNC "ducky" when, I carry it on my hip OR if mobile, I have a 12" scanner antenna/ RG-174U coax. Even WITH the "ducky", I'm able to hear
the LA. State Police down in Mansfield, LA (40 miles), South; Longview, TX (60 miles),
West.

I *do* have an old, 40', telescoping HD, Tv mast. It's reserved for the 25', wooden,
long-boom 2 meter FM Quad I'm putting up. No telling HOW far I'll be able to "hear"
and talk then. Bwahahahahaha!

Respectfully,
73 (Best Regard),

Don/KA5-LQJ
 

prcguy

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There are a bunch of light duty 33ft fiberglass masts that collapse to about 4ft and only weigh a few lbs. I use them to hold up temporary wire antennas and they are strong enough to support a small ground plane like the RS Sputnik. Cost is around $50 to $100 new and I've had good luck with the DK9SQ mast and Jackite poles. If you need to hold up any substantial weight you can sometimes find military surplus 30 to 50ft self supporting fiberglass masts on Ebay in the $400 to $500 range.
prcguy
 

kb2vxa

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Mil surplus immediately comes to mind. I've seen them in use at Amateur Field Day sites, some guyed, some self supporting, some manual, some hydraulic and all reasonably priced.
 

key2_altfire

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Hi guys, thanks for the suggestions all around. So far the idea hasn't met paper, it's just an idea that floated to mind while sitting in L.A. traffic.

During the summer months (e.g. when we're spending time in the back yard) I'd be pulling down the antenna and wheeling it around the corner probably at least once a week. So something that is robust enough to be erected/derected fairly frequently is what I'll need.

Anyway, I'll keep the forum posted if and when I make a move. It could go as far as a lattice tower in three 10-foot sections (I can machine hinges to make it portable).

LOL, if I can model a trailer I can post SolidWorks drawings...

BTW, I'm envisioning a generic whip for 2 meter ham, a discone and a wire loop. If a lattice tower, I can run rigid coax up the side and use extra flexible LMR-400 for the hinged joints.
 

kf4sci

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Feb 20, 2008
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Peoria, AZ
key2_altfire said:
Hi guys, just wondering if anyone here has a preferred mast dealer. I know, Google it, but I figured I'd check with RR first! Looking for something that is less than 4' long collapsed, 30-50' when extended. Not sure about guys yet.

I would like to mount the mast to a small trailer. The trailer will be the base, and with a collapsible/telescoping mast I can pull it down for transport relatively easily. Plus, it's wife-friendly because I can sneak it up in the back yard. :) (Trailer will probably be one of those $200-$400 deals from Horrible Freight; I'll add outriggers if the pole is high enough.)

Be a man and use a tower. :)
 

jonny290

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top rail's your poison

$6.99 for a 10.5 foot section where I am, swaged to nest into the next piece

spend less time trying to get a 40 foot mast (read: I bet you $20 you stop fooling with carting it around and setting it up/taking it down within a couple of months) and spend more time getting a great setup with a 20 or 30 foot mast, which will be much more reasonable to work with. 40 feet's not going to open up some radio world that's locked out of you because you only got a 20 foot mast, I promise.
 

key2_altfire

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jonny290 said:
40 feet's not going to open up some radio world that's locked out of you because you only got a 20 foot mast, I promise.

Thanks for the suggestion. The plan morphs daily though hahaha. Actually the reason why I wanted approximately 40 feet is the height of my roof, which is 38 feet. The idea was to get the base of the antenna approximately the same height as the roof.

My house is about 25 feet from the next building (an apartment building), and by eyeball the roof is approximately the same height as mine.

Right now I have about six different configurations rough-sketched in my sketchbook. We'll have to wait until the tax refund comes back before I take the plunge.
 

schillin

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Dec 9, 2007
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Raise the mast or get a 12 step program?

Folks, My wife thinks I'm crazy for investing in this new hobby. I think it is great. Thanks a million to all of you who post on this forum.

Last Xmas I got a Radio Shack Pro 2096 and a Diamond discone mounted outside. I have 50 feet of LMR-400 cable between the antenna and radio. The antenna is mounted on a ten foot tall piece of thin steel tube. The tube is attached to the railing of my deck. The top of the antenna is 15 feet off of the ground. The peak of the roof is 30 feet off the ground. The peak of the roof is very close to the deck and the antenna.

Reception is good. I'm getting lots of local fire and police. I'm also getting a good dose of 850 MHz trunked state police communications. We had a bank robbery today.

Now that I'm addicted to scanners, I keep thinking a taller mast is a better deal. My buddy who is a ham operator says no mast will ever be tall enough. He suggests I get into a 12 step recovery program (lol). I think it will make me feel like a bigger man.

The question is......if I get a bigger mast and raise the antenna to above the roof line, will this open up a whole new world of radio reception? My wife says shut up and be happy.

I'm also thinking of moving the antenna to the highest spot in the attic. Here, I can shorten the cable connecting the antenna to the radio by 30 feet. I can also keep the antenna out of the weather, which can be rough in Michigan. How much do you think I'll lose reception by sticking the antenna in the attic?

Don't hold back anybody.

Thanks
 

schillin

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I considered a tripod, but the roof is steep and I don't want to climb up there. I can't do a chimney mount....the chimney is a big sheet metal tube. I'm considering an eave mount. I dont have any trouble climbing up a big tall ladder, it's the steep roof that gets me.

Thanks
 

schillin

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Dec 9, 2007
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Thanks for your help. The "super pole 621" looks good... fiberglass, it extends to 21 feet.

http://www.actionflags.com/wp621.html

They say it is the strongest telescoping pole made. It's not tall enough to get me over the peak of my roof. I need at least 5 more feet.

I found some army surplus aluminum camy poles on ebay, item 170195992941. Each pole is thin wall aluminum, 4 feet long with 1.75 inch outside diameter. The poles nest in each other. I'm wondering how many I can stack together without needing guy cables.

Anybody have experience with these?
 
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