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Telescopic masts

Heavy Metal

Heavy Metal

Active Member
Aug 23, 2014
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im thinking of adding some extra pole onto my telescopic mast bring it from 43' to 65'. I was going to add fiberglass 1" into the 1.25" top of the telescopic mast and a foot down into it and add 24' to bring me to @65' at base( feed point ) of my antenna. And add 2 or 3 guide lines one at the base( feed point ) and other 2 between it and top of original telescopic mast. The 1" fiberglass tube will also have 3/4" and 1/2" fiberglass tubing in it for strength to hold an IMAX 2000 on it. Am i going to over load mast or be too high or doing the fiberglass like the way I described going to add too much weight and stress?
 

HM, IMO not a good idea.

I've used a 24" inch pieces of solid FG as isolation support for a very light 5' mobile radiator. That worked out OK...even though the FG was bent a little when I took it down some months latter. This FG was installed inside the top of a 20' foot push up pole by about 12" inches.

Unless you get some material that is really special and guy it well at several points...I don't think 1" x 24' feet of FG is a good idea to support an Imax2K this way.

I added a 10' foot section of 1" inch heavy wall mast tubing to a 40' foot push-up pole with only 4" inches of the mast taper bolted inside the top section of the PU pole. It has supported my Gain Master for three wears or more at 40'+ feet, but I have it guyed about 2" feet below the top of this 10' foot extension as well.

If you do this project...keep us posted on your progress, OK?
 
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Hmmm maybe 43 add 12' plus a 1 foot or so inside other. Half what I had said think will work being fiberglass? Make it 55' max, think maybe too high. Or not stable from how you sound lol, but am going to put it to 55' at ( base )feed point.


The material I am going to use is fiberglass inside fiberglass another words 1", 3/4", 1/2" all 3 for strength to support an IMAX 2000.
 
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What about 10' of 1" EMT or rigid and 1/2" EMT or rigid with 1" FG outside it to isolate it from the imax 2000 mounting plate? Or fit 1/2" EMT or Rigid into center of FG?
 
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I use 1" Conduit for my last mast pipe to get me to 27ft. I push the 1" pipe until about 8" from the end then drill it out and added 2 ss 1/4" bolts. And yes I used washers and nuts. No guy wires on the last pole. It is supported at the joint by the top of my chimney where I've placed and L bracket and mounted to the chimney. So I have 9ft. of 1" pipe that has supported both an A99 and a sirio tornado without any issues what so ever. No guy rings or guy wire. Just pipe mounted to house then top of chimney. Antennas barely move. The tornado top section of the antenna would bend during bad T-storms and such, but the A99 didn't move much at all. If you can make it work, or if it will fit, fence rail top post pipe is good as well. That is my 2nd section, and the 3rd is 1 1/4" conduit. I wouldn't have an issue placing an IMAX 2000 up on mine as long as I used some guy wires at the top. The A99 and tornado weren't heavy enough to worry about it, but if I were to place a heavier antenna up I would def. add a ring or 2 and some good Dacron rope. But the 1" conduit works fine and is heavy enough to hold the antenna up, like Marconi stated, just brace it. Good luck and be safe!!
 
To 43' teescoping mast adding to make it 55' or 65'? And oh yes guided from prob 30'-36' to feed point at 55' or 65'.

Be prob 3 way and 6 places guiding it at on each of the 3 sides.
 
Consider doing what I did to my 43 ft. telescoping mast.

Beef up the bottom section instead. This makes the whole unit bottom heavy and stronger overall with a strong top section without using skinnier sections on top.

My masts lower section is originally 2 inches. I got a 10 ft. piece of gray 3 inch PVC the kind used for electrical conduit because it is the same color as my mast.

The 2 inch lower section fits nicely inside the 3 inch and I just drilled a hole thru both of them and secured it with bolts,nuts, and washers.

You could use a 4 inch then a 3 and that will get you close to 20 ft. more your looking for and this will keep your mast in telescoping form from the bottom up.

With this height, you will have to add more guy wires to keep it secure.
 
Do they make 2 1/2" and 3" galvanized steel pipe that can be used as the bottom pipe as well. It's the heavy galvanized steel pipe. And it's not cheap but will work well. Check out Home Depot. It will be more expensive than the pvc conduit for sure but will be solid as a rock. I do like fourstringburn's idea of beefing the bottom up and not weakening the top sections. Regardless of whether the pvc or the steel conduit is used.
 
222DBFL said:
Do they make 2 1/2" and 3" galvanized steel pipe that can be used as the bottom pipe as well. It's the heavy galvanized steel pipe. And it's not cheap but will work well. Check out Home Depot. It will be more expensive than the pvc conduit for sure but will be solid as a rock. I do like fourstringburn's idea of beefing the bottom up and not weakening the top sections. Regardless of whether the pvc or the steel conduit is used.
Click to expand...

Check out the electrical masts used for holding up the drop wires from the utility company into your home. They are galvanized and quite strong and comein a few different sizes.
 
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What about fence post 17ga 2.375 should fit a 2.25" post inside theirs 10'6" their and 1.375 and place 1.25" inside it and a guilde clamp for guide wires in middle. Their @18-19' more
 
In 16ga galvanized steel pipe and in 2.5" think theirs a 2.375" used for fence posts.

Then insert a 1.375 between 1.5" and 1.25" pipe
 
Should work fine HM. Just make sure they slide together and there isn't too much play. Proper support will go a long way to ensuring the integrity of whatever mast you do place up. I used my house and top of my chimney for my 2 points of bracing. Seems to work well up to 30-35ft. anyway. Any higher and I would be using some guyed wire or Dacron rope. And it depends on the weight of the antenna as well. The sirio tornado only weighs about 6 1/2lbs vs the 10+lbs the IMAX weighs. I would make sure to use some thick walled pipe like the fence rail at 2.5" and then the other pipe you listed. Again it seems like it would work just fine for your intentions. Like said, use good guy wire or Dacron rope and as many tie off points from top to bottom as you can place. Be safe and post some pics if you do it if possible. I am at the 27ft mark and will go up to about 34ft next jump but I have to add a larger pipe at the bottom of my current mast. The 1" top seems to work well with light antennas. Wouldn't use anything heavy like a GM or 2016 that weigh a bunch, but the lighter antennas are fine and if I end up going with the vector I may keep the height where it is or lower it. Anyway. Good luck to you and again be safe.
 
Man......I don't know what kind of magical mystical 1" EMT you guys have down there but there is no way in hell I would EVER install ANY antenna on a piece of that stuff. Standard antenna mounts won't even tighten down that small. I believe in putting an antenna up ONCE and leaving it there until Mother Nature takes her toll on it and then simply replacing the antenna and using the same mast. Been putting antennas up since 1977 and so far I have NEVER lost a mast yet and only ever lost one antenna, a Cushcraft A3 tribander that was 40+ years old. It committed suicide when two elements loosened and walked off the ends of the boom and fell 40 feet to the ground. The middle driver element broke in half under SEVERE ice and wind load.
 
CK, down here in FL it does not matter much what you use within reason, when ( not if) the hurricane comes it will come down.

Or use a crank up/lean over tower or hazer.
Just a matter of when mother nature decides it is time to bring things down.
 
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