Push up masts

[KangMudDuck]

I have been struggling with a suitable space for a 5/8 vertical. I had been looking at an old tv tripod on the house, others suggested that may lead to big problems. A friend of mine owns a roofing company, I am planning on redoing the roof in the next couple of years, he came out to give me an idea of the cost. He isn't an antenna expert, but we did take a look at the tripod and scoped out what it looked like in the attic, he thought the tripod has been up there since the 70s and was built to last. Hopefully I will find someone with more expertise when I redo the roof, see if it would be safe to put a vertical or a small beam on the tripod.

Saw this today and wondered who makes the mast:

https://www.worldwidedx.com/threads/diamond-x510hdm-station-upgrade.261510/

Looking through reviews, Channel Master and Easy Up aluminum masts look more suitable for TV antenna installation, Rohn push up masts are really hit or miss, judging by the reviews on eHam. Spiderbeam's push up masts look to be the best rated on eHam.

I have a 17.5' roofline, side of the house is brick. I'd rather not spend the $500 on an aluminum Spiderbeam mast, their fiberglass mast is more in my budget range. My plan is to bury pipe that the mast would slip over, bracket to the brick, and guy it. Would the Spiderbeam 12 meter mast be able to handle a Sirio Gain Master or should I save up for the aluminum type? I checked with local hardware stores, only carry 16 ga top rail in 10' sections. Found a fencing supply company that sells schedule 40 in 21' sections, I want to get at least 10 feet above the roofline, don't want to try connecting heavy top rail together.


Also have been eyeballing some trees in my backyard, but don't want to make a long coax run. Thanks for any help!!

 

[fourstringburn]

Those fiberglass masts need to he guyed. There not that rigid to support the weight and wind loading of a vertical. Guy wires across your roof may not be ideal.

I use I believe to be a 1 inch galvanized pipe slipped inside 1 1/2 pipe both 10 ft long to create a telescoping most for easier take down, maintenance, tuning, etc.

I drill a hole near the top and bottom of each pipe and it's secured with a long bolt at the bottom so its locked in place at full length and I remove the bolt and replace it in the top hole so it doesn't slip all the way inside the larger pipe when retracted.

I have this mast attached to the eave of the house with brackets. The mast is 18 ft high so it has plenty of support with no guy wires needed. I run a Maco 3 element and have no issues. 18 ft is good minimum height for 10/11 meters. Any higher for the mast and you'll most likely need guy wires. For DX it’s just fine, local work depending on terrain and other factors it maybe marginal.

Something like this may work for you if you don't mind attaching a mast to your house. You already have a high roof line so you have a good starting point to add more height without guy wires.

 

[KangMudDuck]

Thanks @fourstringburn

I'd like to use the Sirio Gain Master, instructions say it should be 3 meters above the roof line. My plan is to use brackets in the brick and stay off the eave. I may have problems with the guy line set-up, I don't want to put holes in the roof. My idea of running two lines on each side of the mast parallel to the wall and another 90 degrees to the wall probably won't hold up against a big windstorm.

My backyard has a pretty dense canopy of leaves during summer, I thought about doing a 20 foot mast on the ground but the antenna would be right in the middle of the foliage come May. Guess I will be looking at those trees a little closer, will likely be putting the antenna in one.

 

[Ranch55]

Rohn 47' with Zero Antenna Colossal 10K .....

 

[w9cll]

Mfj sells the push up masts

 

[wildchild455]

I am using a "Channel Master: 3 section 30 foot at 149.95 free shippingbut it really is about 25 to 26 feet tall but it does work well with 2-5 foot section of extension and using a A99. I have on order a
EZ TM-50-U-95 price 154.95 advertised at 33.when extended and 95 inches when collasped to make it UPS can ship it.

 

[DJboutit]

https://www.cableandwireshop.com/50-foot-telescopic-push-up-antenna-mast-ez-tm-50.html

Look on Facebook Marketplace you can get 40ft to 80ft tower for $200 to $800

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

Thanks @fourstringburn

I'd like to use the Sirio Gain Master, instructions say it should be 3 meters above the roof line. My plan is to use brackets in the brick and stay off the eave. I may have problems with the guy line set-up, I don't want to put holes in the roof. My idea of running two lines on each side of the mast parallel to the wall and another 90 degrees to the wall probably won't hold up against a big windstorm.

My backyard has a pretty dense canopy of leaves during summer, I thought about doing a 20 foot mast on the ground but the antenna would be right in the middle of the foliage come May. Guess I will be looking at those trees a little closer, will likely be putting the antenna in one.

If you are going to attach it to the house at the top, it will work if you use bigger mast pipe. In order to get away from guy wires, you will need something like 2 inch galvanized water pipe. Dig a 1 foot hole to put the bottom in so it doesn't kick out. Then a pipe reducer at the top with a short section of pipe that will fit the antenna.

In my opinion, push up poles are temporary. Fence top rail is not thick enough and will always need guy wires. Do it once and do it right so you never have to worry about it again.

I used 2 inch water pipe for mine, and while the application is a little different, the concept is the same.

Here is a link to my antenna thread:

Base - Sirio New Vector 4000 Install | WorldwideDX Radio Forum

 

[Heywood]

http://www.tmastco.com/

 

[L2]

Imax 2000 on an old Radio Shack push up pole.

 

[86lidewell]

Saw this today and wondered who makes the mast:
https://www.worldwidedx.com/threads/diamond-x510hdm-station-upgrade.261510/

Looks like a Rohn,
https://www.texastowers.com/towers/pushup.htm

 

[Highway Man]

Looks like a Rohn,
https://www.texastowers.com/towers/pushup.htm

I just looked. Says local pick up only. No shipping.

 

[HomerBB]

I use electrical conduit, EMT, one inside the other to homebrew push up poles. Been there for 13 years and counting. 38' of EMT set 10' up the wooden mast. 48'.
Second picture there for 4 years. Not guys. Supports an end fed wire. 28'.



I have also gone to the local steel yard and purchased used steel tubing to fabricate push up poles. That was heavy.

 

[KangMudDuck]

Finally got around to setting up the base (still need to find a good desk, equipment is on chairs and the floor for now). I used an 20'9" EZ UP mast, painted it and a Sirio 5/8 gainmaster with brown acrylic enamel, topcoated using a two component fluoropolymer with a silicone additive to make the surface slick, hopefully that will shed ice. Liquid paint is only around 1 mil thick, you can see where the metal on metal contact scratched it off, need to do some touch-up work where I can reach it. If I did it again I would have brought the mast to a powdercoater, powder usually is around 3 to 5 mils thick, wouldn't scratch up as bad with the poles rubbing against each other. 150 feet of LMR400DB with Amphenol crimp and solder connectors into a Polyphaser attached to a ground next to the house, then into the radio room. 1.2 SWR.

Neighbors can't see it, crossing my fingers it remains inconspicuous when the leaves drop.

Made contact with a triple 1 in upstate NY running a barefoot Cobra 148F on 37 LSB early yesterday morning, made more contacts on 28 AM with 305 Wyoming and 806 Lubbock with some juice turned on.

 

[S&W357]

Stealth Station Sirio looking good