Inexpensive mast material

[pgnsucks]

Bolt 4-5 of those together and you have an awesome cheap antenna support that will last many years. Google military support poles.

Jumping in here a sec if you have bolted these together in the past what size bolt did you use?
Love mil-surplus you know they are over-designed (strong) thanks for the idea:lol:

 

[LtDoc]

Rt169Radio,
I meant just what I said, that top-rail isn't made to withstand 'side' forces usually found with an antenna mast. It will bend, not as easily as some things, but it doesn't 'recover' quite as well as some either. And of course, it depends on who/how the stuff was made. I'm sure there are some types of top-rail that are 'heavier' than others. I've also seen some that couldn't take the weight of a person climbing over it.
- 'Doc

 

[jhooten]

I have one 20 foot section of top rail, I suggest you buy the 20 footers, with a Solarcon on it that is two feet in a piece of rigid conduit 6 feet long sunk 4 feet in the ground. The top rail is not guyed or supported. It was put up mid September 2011 as a temporary support while we were living in the travel trailer during the fire recovery. It is still up having survived wind gust measured as high as 75 mph. It leans in the wind but has yet to take a permanent set.

I've considered replacing it with something more permanent but why fix it if it ain't broke.

 

[Rt169Radio]

To the OP, would these masts help?

TV Antenna Mast: Antenna Masts Telescoping and Straight - Channel Master Store

 

[fineshot1]

I went to Home depot and got the top rail for chain link fence to put up a friends antenna. And it's still there over 2 years later. Cost $9.00 fot 10 ft. It is a little thicker than the conduit.

I did the same with a 14' section to build a 4 bay dipole array and its been on a tower at 160 feet up for
almost 10 years now.

 

[kd0fx]

Stacking two sections is certainly possible (I do it too) but going any higher is a -very- 'chancy' thing without guying it. Guying two sections isn't a bad idea either for that matter.

So... you've had good luck with the 2 sections not being guyed? I've been debating whether or not I would risk that extra 10 feet...

 

[jeepinjeepin]

For those looking at chain link top rail; Lowe's stocks 1 3/8" 18ga 10' sections and Home Depot stocks 1 3/8" 17ga 10' sections. Actually, I think both of them are 10'6". Both stores can special order a selection of thicker, heavier, and longer pieces. Look and see if 1 5/8" 16ga 21' or 22' sections are available at your store or even a local fence installer.

I just put up a mast today. I used (2) 10'6" 1 3/8" 17ga sections from Home Depot. I used a water drill to bore a hole for the bottom piece. I ended up sinking the base piece 6' in the ground. No cement!!! The base was actually 6'6" cut from the swaged end of one of the pieces. When I put the remaining 4' piece on it as a test I found the joint quite loose. Obviously it isn't gonna jump off but it is gonna wobble without some bolts or a support from a skyhook(or the side of the house).

So what I ended up with is 6'6" in the ground, 10'6" on top of that, and 4' on the very top with an A99 mounted to it. Knowing what I know now, I would go with a single 20'+ piece and avoid the joints. Mine is easy to lower and erect though.

 

[milkman21218]

JJ, it looks good. Now you should be hearing and being heard.

 

[Rt169Radio]

That's pretty good, nice job!

 

[jeepinjeepin]

Thanks guys. Like I said its a bit shaky. I'd like to avoid tying it to the side of the house if at all possible, so in the next couple days I'll drill a pair of holes 90* apart and stick some bolts through bottom joint at least. The idea will be to not tighten them up so as to deform the pipe, but just to basically put pins through it so it will easily slip apart again for maintenance.

P.S. I hit a local about 5 miles away from me just a bit ago. They get long winded so I didn't try to get in on it, but he did confirm he could hear me(when someone wasn't keying on top of me).

 

[shortride]

I still don't know why but I had a 12' long 1-1/2" schedule 40 steel tubing mast mounted on my tower with a 11 meter beam on it bend like a pretzel in a moderate wind storm. There was only 9 feet of the mast above the tower. One of those unexplained situations I guess.