Local guy has a 40' will-but non locking antenna mast from a news van for sale. Says that it works but I haven't personally tried it out. I was thinking about buying it for use at my house. I like the idea of having something that can be raised and lowered for maintenance purposes but the downside is its only 40 feet and there are the complications of running air to it, exposure to the elements, etc. Anyone used one of these for a base operation?
Anyone used a news van style pneumatic antenna mast at home?
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prcguy
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I ran one mobile for awhile and had a spare that I traded off to a guy that was going to use it at home. They were both Wilburt 42ft non locking. If the seals are in good shape it will stay up for quite awhile with maybe 20psi and I used a cheap dual piston air compressor off eBay that cost about $70.
Here is a picture of it bolted in my last truck with a 4 element Shakespeare filberglass CB Yagi converted to 10m. The mast is straight as an arrow and solid as a telephone pole and the camera lens is distorting the picture.
Here is another picture in my driveway with a Comet CX-333 tri-band base antenna on top.
Here is a picture of it bolted in my last truck with a 4 element Shakespeare filberglass CB Yagi converted to 10m. The mast is straight as an arrow and solid as a telephone pole and the camera lens is distorting the picture.
Here is another picture in my driveway with a Comet CX-333 tri-band base antenna on top.
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until the seals dry out you are good! I have to keep the seals happy and the masts going thru a raise/lower once a month on five old TV ENG trucks. Never thought about have one at home...a good base mount would be a PITA!!!!
mastr
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FWIW, "base operation" seems to me to be the exact opposite of the intended use of that mast.
Why not call Will-Burt and ask them how it will hold up when left extended most of the time?
Thanks for all the responses… Yeah, I was kind of questioning the seals. I don’t know exactly how the air is held between the cylinders.
I’m too old to be climbing up the tower, so the idea of some sort of crank up or push-up is appealing.
it would be great to have one of these on a trailer for field days
I’m too old to be climbing up the tower, so the idea of some sort of crank up or push-up is appealing.
it would be great to have one of these on a trailer for field days
At least you won’t have this happen
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
"Remember, if you don't like the news, make your own."
We have two pneumatic masts on the city's mobile command post. One is internal and goes through an opening in the roof. It has a camera. The other is mounted on the rear bumper and is designed to accept one of several antennae (depending on the circumstances). Both have served their purpose extremely well since they were installed (1999 and 2005, respectively).
prcguy
Member
A Wilburt mast is a very simple device with a plastic sealing cup at the bottom of each mast section that rides up and down with the mast and seals the air in. The cups are lubricated with oil. If the mast is used outdoors in a dusty environment it will eventually contaminate the oil and cause some air leakage. You can rebuild a mast and install new seals but its a messy job.
These masts are really expensive new with the 42ft non locking running about $16k and I'm not sure if that includes the air compressor stuff. There is a lot of precision welding and metal bars welded the full length of the tubes to keep them from rotating. When the mast is up with about 20psi of air its like a telephone pole, they don't bend or sway.
These masts are really expensive new with the 42ft non locking running about $16k and I'm not sure if that includes the air compressor stuff. There is a lot of precision welding and metal bars welded the full length of the tubes to keep them from rotating. When the mast is up with about 20psi of air its like a telephone pole, they don't bend or sway.
Agreed, but how often will you be actually accessing the top of the tower?
The idea of push up is nice, but then there's all the issues that come with a pneumatic device w/ seals, lifespan, and the required accessories and infrastructure that suddenly make a crank-up sound like a much better deal.
iMONITOR
Silent Key
The mast actually looks like it held up pretty well. Doesn't even look bent.
OP, I think you're much better off getting a crank-up/tilt-over tower. I have a couple and they are an absolute joy. I can work on the antenna and do anything I need to do with a 6' ladder.
I think he's right. We were lucky with the two on the command bus. One of the city's hazmat trucks has a crank-up tower for lights. They use a cordless drill to crank it up and it goes up in no time. It's also been trouble-free.
tvengr
Well Known Member
There were a number of times when we were doing snow coverage that the masts on our live trucks froze and could not be brought down. It's kind of difficult to bring a truck back to the station with a 45' mast sticking in the air.
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