Best Way to Mount FG1520 Antenna on Ground-Based Tripod with PVC + FM2 Kit?

[Mbrowning]

Hey all,

I’m trying to mount a LAIRD FG1520 VHF antenna using a ground-mounted tripod about with a metal center pole about 7' tall (1.25" OD). I’ve got a 10-foot PVC pipe that slides snugly over that pole and adds height, and I plan to use the FM2 mounting kit to secure the antenna to the top section.

It fits fine inside the PVC, but my biggest concern is **keeping it stable and minimizing wobble**.

Would the FM2 kit clamped directly to the PVC (sleeved over the metal) be solid enough, or is there a better way to go about this?

Appreciate any advice — especially if you’ve dealt with something similar.

 

[buddrousa]

PVC should never be used as a MAST. Go to Lowes and look 10 foot pieces bend with ease you add heat and a 10 foot PVC pipe will not support itself it will bend and sway. Use the correct pipe for a mast.

 

[Mbrowning]

PVC should never be used as a MAST. Go to Lowes and look 10 foot pieces bend with ease you add heat and a 10 foot PVC pipe will not support itself it will bend and sway. Use the correct pipe for a mast.

I appreciate your advice on not using PVC. If I go with a metal mast instead (like EMT conduit or top rail), what’s the best way to mount my Laird FG1520 to it securely? The antenna didn’t come with mounting hardware, so I’d be using something like the FM-2 U-bolt kit. I also have a metal tripod with a center mast (1.25" OD) already cemented in the ground. Any suggestions on how to secure everything and reduce wobble?

 

[buddrousa]

Have you looked at going over the tripod pipe?

Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/Double-Antenna-Clamp-Bracket-Outdoor/dp/B0BHVXR1CT/ref=pd_lpo_d_sccl_1/146-3872347-8215633?pd_rd_w=iKkEx&content-id=amzn1.sym.4c8c52db-06f8-4e42-8e56-912796f2ea6c&pf_rd_p=4c8c52db-06f8-4e42-8e56-912796f2ea6c&pf_rd_r=6K1F8EPH24VVSR340D1Z&pd_rd_wg=fmak9&pd_rd_r=35c38092-2cdc-4290-8a9b-750fe77bdad7&pd_rd_i=B0BHVXR1CT&th=1

 

[chief21]

Most home centers sell chain-link top rail sections. These 10'6" sections are swaged on one end and make great, relatively inexpensive antenna masts. Depending on the ID of your existing mast, one might even join up properly with it or, failing that, could be clamped parallel to the existing mast. If your tripod is beefy enough, you might even be able to use two of the top rail sections.