ANTENNA CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

I use fishing poles for all my antenna experimentation.
I thought supplying the following info would be of interest
to antenna builders on this news group.
I now see fishing pole antenna manufacturing as the prime method
and not as a "make do" in place of conventional aluminum tube
construction

REASONS

ALUMINUM (aluminium for U.K. builders)
My aluminum rescources always seem to miss a required diameter.
Clamps used to secure element portions always increased susceptability to
ice build up
Aircraft style tubing increasingly expensive
Elements with electrically faulty connections.
Pre built antenna prices are now rediculous
thus new avenues are required for emerging hams.

FISHING POLE.
A 20 foot telescopic fishing pole can be used as a standard
for all types of antennas without permanent mutilation.
Cost per pole is $10 ( $2 if purchased in quantity China FOB )
Weight is 1 lb
Material fiberglass with shellac outer protection
No element clamp requirements
Taper is perfect
No ice build up.
Pre sticky coat aluminum foil rolls readily available at hardware stores.
Elements are electrically continuous as foil is applied lengthwise
Foil length does not have to be physical element length
Foil can be readily removed if required using heat gun or hair drier
Boom to mast materials need not be metallic because of lightness of element
Telescopic assemblies a breese to store.
Boom materials are more optional and plentiful
Rotor costs drop
..
LENGTH OF USE
About ten years of continual antenna experience
Temperature extremes 95 F to -20 F
Breakdown and reassembly rotations numerable.
Max number of elements used on one installation,
13 elements on a 80 foot boom.(20 metres, total element wt
was 26 lbs)

Regards
Art

Hw do u fasten the poles to the boom?

--
Listen to Alternative News and Conversation You Won't Hear On Commercial
Radio.
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YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

First Time Users May Be asked To Do A 1 Time Setup.
" wrote in message
news:mDtjd.310793$wV.66943@attbi_s54...
ANTENNA CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

I use fishing poles for all my antenna experimentation.
I thought supplying the following info would be of interest
to antenna builders on this news group.
I now see fishing pole antenna manufacturing as the prime method
and not as a "make do" in place of conventional aluminum tube
construction

REASONS

ALUMINUM (aluminium for U.K. builders)
My aluminum rescources always seem to miss a required diameter.
Clamps used to secure element portions always increased susceptability to
ice build up
Aircraft style tubing increasingly expensive
Elements with electrically faulty connections.
Pre built antenna prices are now rediculous
thus new avenues are required for emerging hams.

FISHING POLE.
A 20 foot telescopic fishing pole can be used as a standard
for all types of antennas without permanent mutilation.
Cost per pole is $10 ( $2 if purchased in quantity China FOB )
Weight is 1 lb
Material fiberglass with shellac outer protection
No element clamp requirements
Taper is perfect
No ice build up.
Pre sticky coat aluminum foil rolls readily available at hardware stores.
Elements are electrically continuous as foil is applied lengthwise
Foil length does not have to be physical element length
Foil can be readily removed if required using heat gun or hair drier
Boom to mast materials need not be metallic because of lightness of
element
Telescopic assemblies a breese to store.
Boom materials are more optional and plentiful
Rotor costs drop
.
LENGTH OF USE
About ten years of continual antenna experience
Temperature extremes 95 F to -20 F
Breakdown and reassembly rotations numerable.
Max number of elements used on one installation,
13 elements on a 80 foot boom.(20 metres, total element wt
was 26 lbs)

Regards
Art

I usually insert a short length of plastic pipe between the two elements
(fishing poles) and then fasten to a mounting plate using U clamps.
Mounting plate material has ranged from plexiglass, light aluminum,
phenolic sheet to just plain plywood.
Actually have made my own U clamps using pre threaded rod and wing nuts
at different times since strength is not a big thing anymore.

Art


"Dr. Daffodil Swain" wrote in message
ink.net...
Hw do u fasten the poles to the boom?

--
Listen to Alternative News and Conversation You Won't Hear On Commercial
Radio.
Visit http://live365.com/stations/pascoradio
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

First Time Users May Be asked To Do A 1 Time Setup.
" wrote in
message
news:mDtjd.310793$wV.66943@attbi_s54...
ANTENNA CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

I use fishing poles for all my antenna experimentation.
I thought supplying the following info would be of interest
to antenna builders on this news group.
I now see fishing pole antenna manufacturing as the prime method
and not as a "make do" in place of conventional aluminum tube
construction

REASONS

ALUMINUM (aluminium for U.K. builders)
My aluminum rescources always seem to miss a required diameter.
Clamps used to secure element portions always increased susceptability
to
ice build up
Aircraft style tubing increasingly expensive
Elements with electrically faulty connections.
Pre built antenna prices are now rediculous
thus new avenues are required for emerging hams.

FISHING POLE.
A 20 foot telescopic fishing pole can be used as a standard
for all types of antennas without permanent mutilation.
Cost per pole is $10 ( $2 if purchased in quantity China FOB )
Weight is 1 lb
Material fiberglass with shellac outer protection
No element clamp requirements
Taper is perfect
No ice build up.
Pre sticky coat aluminum foil rolls readily available at hardware
stores.
Elements are electrically continuous as foil is applied lengthwise
Foil length does not have to be physical element length
Foil can be readily removed if required using heat gun or hair drier
Boom to mast materials need not be metallic because of lightness of
element
Telescopic assemblies a breese to store.
Boom materials are more optional and plentiful
Rotor costs drop
.
LENGTH OF USE
About ten years of continual antenna experience
Temperature extremes 95 F to -20 F
Breakdown and reassembly rotations numerable.
Max number of elements used on one installation,
13 elements on a 80 foot boom.(20 metres, total element wt
was 26 lbs)

Regards
Art

" wrote:

ANTENNA CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

I use fishing poles for all my antenna experimentation....

Art,
I can't seem to locate a source of the poles. Do you have
an e-mail or other address for one? I've been looking for a long time.
Thanks in advance.

Irv VE6BP
--
--------------------------------------
Diagnosed Type II Diabetes March 5 2001
Beating it with diet and exercise!
297/215/210 (to be revised lower)
58"/43"(!)/44" (already lower too!)
--------------------------------------
Visit my HomePage at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv/index.html
Visit my Baby Sofia website at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv4/index.htm
Visit my OLDTIMERS website at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv5/index.htm
--------------------
Irv Finkleman,
Grampa/Ex-Navy/Old Fart/Ham Radio VE6BP
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

They are really called "crappie poles" as they do not have any feed line
loops. I will get an E mail for you tomorrow
Any fishing shop will have them if you refer to them as above which
separates them from the more expensive "fishing blanks".Found out about all
these things when I went to a major fishing show in Chicago where I spoke to
all the reps.
You can get thicker wall types but I do not deem them as necessary but
carbon type blanks (noodles) can be more useful at triple the cost if
excessive bending is to be imposed for any reason but with the loss of
stiffness. There is now available sticky back copper foil as hardware stores
uprate their inventory for use on outside wood decks where before they used
aluminum which is now prohibited for some reason with treated woods!

You can get them in 8,12,16 and 20 foot lengths and all parts have been
interchangeable for me in that none fall out
as weight is applied such as ice. where extra tightening then occurs.Some
suppliers up their prices to twice what
I have been able to buy them for.

Art KB9MZ


"Irv Finkleman" wrote in message
...
" wrote:

ANTENNA CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

I use fishing poles for all my antenna experimentation....

Art,
I can't seem to locate a source of the poles. Do you have
an e-mail or other address for one? I've been looking for a long time.
Thanks in advance.

Irv VE6BP
--
--------------------------------------
Diagnosed Type II Diabetes March 5 2001
Beating it with diet and exercise!
297/215/210 (to be revised lower)
58"/43"(!)/44" (already lower too!)
--------------------------------------
Visit my HomePage at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv/index.html
Visit my Baby Sofia website at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv4/index.htm
Visit my OLDTIMERS website at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv5/index.htm
--------------------
Irv Finkleman,
Grampa/Ex-Navy/Old Fart/Ham Radio VE6BP
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

" wrote:

They are really called "crappie poles" as they do not have any feed line
loops. I will get an E mail for you tomorrow

Thanks Art -- I'll hang on the the e-mail address. The local fishing shops
have not been able to help me.

Irv
--------------------------------------
Diagnosed Type II Diabetes March 5 2001
Beating it with diet and exercise!
297/215/210 (to be revised lower)
58"/43"(!)/44" (already lower too!)
--------------------------------------
Visit my HomePage at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv/index.html
Visit my Baby Sofia website at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv4/index.htm
Visit my OLDTIMERS website at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv5/index.htm
--------------------
Irv Finkleman,
Grampa/Ex-Navy/Old Fart/Ham Radio VE6BP
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

There was an article in QST about using fishing poles for a quad. The
name, address and phone is below. I looked them up sometime or the
other and one or both had a web site and online catalog.

Bob Newton W5RN

=================================================

From "A Light and Sturdy Quad for 10 and 15 Meters", QST July 1991,
page 30 by Kevin Wellenius KA3PDM

Bass Pro Shops, PO Box 4046, Springfield, MO 65808-4046, tel
800-227-7776. Model type and price vary from time to time. Items may
be available at sale price. (Another supplier of similar poles
[Tuff-Lite Crappie Master, RFP 123 12-foot fiberglass poles] is B&M,
PO Box 231, West Point, MS 39773, tel 601-494-5092 for the name of you
nearest dealer)

================================================== ===

"Irv Finkleman" wrote in message
...
" wrote:

They are really called "crappie poles" as they do not have any
feed line
loops. I will get an E mail for you tomorrow

Thanks Art -- I'll hang on the the e-mail address. The local fishing
shops
have not been able to help me.

Irv
--------------------------------------
Diagnosed Type II Diabetes March 5 2001
Beating it with diet and exercise!
297/215/210 (to be revised lower)
58"/43"(!)/44" (already lower too!)
--------------------------------------
Visit my HomePage at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv/index.html
Visit my Baby Sofia website at
http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv4/index.htm
Visit my OLDTIMERS website at
http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv5/index.htm
--------------------
Irv Finkleman,
Grampa/Ex-Navy/Old Fart/Ham Radio VE6BP
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

On Sun, 07 Nov 2004 23:29:26 GMT, Irv Finkleman
wrote:

" wrote:

They are really called "crappie poles" as they do not have any feed line
loops. I will get an E mail for you tomorrow

Thanks Art -- I'll hang on the the e-mail address. The local fishing shops
have not been able to help me.

Irv

Irv,
Pardon the exceedingly long link, but this may help - crappie poles
from Cabela's. I've ordered from them in the past and have been
pleased with their service.

Howard

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...166&hasJS=true

if that fails, here is their main page:
http://www.cabelas.com/

"Irv Finkleman" wrote in message
...
" wrote:

ANTENNA CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

I use fishing poles for all my antenna experimentation....

Art,
I can't seem to locate a source of the poles. Do you have
an e-mail or other address for one? I've been looking for a long time.
Thanks in advance.


Try here.
http://www.landbigfish.com/tacklesto...e.cfm?PID=2808

Rob

I had a 20' Cabella crappie rod that i wanted to use as a
free standing vertical antenna on top of a 60' roof. I feel
that a strong wind would snap the upper portion in two.
Any comments?.
" wrote in message
news:mDtjd.310793$wV.66943@attbi_s54...
ANTENNA CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

I use fishing poles for all my antenna experimentation.
I thought supplying the following info would be of interest
to antenna builders on this news group.
I now see fishing pole antenna manufacturing as the prime method
and not as a "make do" in place of conventional aluminum tube
construction

REASONS

ALUMINUM (aluminium for U.K. builders)
My aluminum rescources always seem to miss a required diameter.
Clamps used to secure element portions always increased susceptability to
ice build up
Aircraft style tubing increasingly expensive
Elements with electrically faulty connections.
Pre built antenna prices are now rediculous
thus new avenues are required for emerging hams.

FISHING POLE.
A 20 foot telescopic fishing pole can be used as a standard
for all types of antennas without permanent mutilation.
Cost per pole is $10 ( $2 if purchased in quantity China FOB )
Weight is 1 lb
Material fiberglass with shellac outer protection
No element clamp requirements
Taper is perfect
No ice build up.
Pre sticky coat aluminum foil rolls readily available at hardware stores.
Elements are electrically continuous as foil is applied lengthwise
Foil length does not have to be physical element length
Foil can be readily removed if required using heat gun or hair drier
Boom to mast materials need not be metallic because of lightness of
element
Telescopic assemblies a breese to store.
Boom materials are more optional and plentiful
Rotor costs drop
.
LENGTH OF USE
About ten years of continual antenna experience
Temperature extremes 95 F to -20 F
Breakdown and reassembly rotations numerable.
Max number of elements used on one installation,
13 elements on a 80 foot boom.(20 metres, total element wt
was 26 lbs)

Regards
Art