I want to raise the center of my 91 ft folded dipole to at least 35
feet. I live on the west coast of Florida with all the attendant
possibilites of hurricanes. I cannot afford a retractable tower and do
not have room for proper guy wires. I want to be able to put a pulley
at the top so I am able to lower the antenna in the event of high
winds. I have a cement block house with a roof peak of about 16 feet,
I would prefer not to have to pour a base for the "mast".
I would appreciate any advice on supporting the "mast" to the house
wall and what material to use for the "mast" so that it might not be
permanantly bent by 125 mph winds.

Any constructive help gratefully welcomed

A rat shack pushup pole, *properly* guyed, should do the
trick. I'm not sure about 125 mph winds though. I'm not
sure many would survive that...But... The pushup masts
are retractable. What I do when a hurricane is coming,
is to retract the mast down to it lowest level. That makes
it super strong, and being low, there is little risk. I've
had those masts ride out hurricanes, even all the way up.
But...It wasn't 125 mph though... Maybe 100-105 mph or so...
You can buy the brackets for the house.
MK

wrote in message
oups.com...
A rat shack pushup pole, *properly* guyed, should do the
trick. I'm not sure about 125 mph winds though. I'm not
sure many would survive that...But... The pushup masts
are retractable. What I do when a hurricane is coming,
is to retract the mast down to it lowest level. That makes
it super strong, and being low, there is little risk. I've
had those masts ride out hurricanes, even all the way up.
But...It wasn't 125 mph though... Maybe 100-105 mph or so...
You can buy the brackets for the house.
MK


It is not clear that Radio Shack sells the pushup masts anymore.
I got the last one at our store.

Rohn made them and they went bankrupt.

You might use Google to search the web for pushup antenna masts.

I used to use a wooden mast to support my folded dipole. it was based on a
mast in
the ARRL Handbook or Antenna book. It consisted of an 8 foot treated 2 by 4
planted in the ground. This was "double carriage bolted" to a pair of 20
foot pair of 2 by 4
which was double carriage bolded to a single 20 foot 2 by 4. At least 3
feet overlap
between sections is desired. I did not find it necessary to have a guy. I
attached the center of
the folded dipole to a hook at the top of the now 35 foot mast.

The only problem I see is the cross section of the 2 by 4 in 125 mile per
hour winds. If the lower
20 feet were up against the house, you might not have a problem. Otherwise
guys will be essential.
Probably 3 at the top of the pair of 2 by 4s and two (one to either flat
side) of the top piece.
Make certain that you get strong lumber, preferably not pine.

Regards,
Ed, N5EI



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wrote in message
oups.com...
A rat shack pushup pole, *properly* guyed, should do the
trick. I'm not sure about 125 mph winds though. I'm not
sure many would survive that...But... The pushup masts
are retractable. What I do when a hurricane is coming,
is to retract the mast down to it lowest level. That makes
it super strong, and being low, there is little risk. I've
had those masts ride out hurricanes, even all the way up.
But...It wasn't 125 mph though... Maybe 100-105 mph or so...
You can buy the brackets for the house.
MK


Yes, Radio Shack used to carry them, but not any more, unless you just
happen to find one in a store left over from when they had them. Someone
said Lowes had them, but the stores in the S.F. Bay Area don't - - and in an
on-line search of their stock they don't recognize the product, so maybe
that's dated information, too. I suspect with cable and satellite, hardly
anybody goes to the trouble of putting up an outside TV antenna any more, so
from disuse, we may have lost that resource. There still might be masts
available through small town TV installers in the fringe area around big
cities, but I don't see anything on line except for Wholesale Electronics
Inc who have no stock on hand. The latest manufacturer to take over some of
the business from Rohn, Nello Corp. says they will have a line of
telescoping masts in the Fall of 2005, so you might be able to get one then
through Array Solutions on the West coast or AN Wireless in the East..

If anyone reading this has a 30 ft 3-section TV mast they're willing to sell
for a reasonable price, I'd be interested myself.

73, Chuck W6PKP

be careful attaching it to the house. The amount of overhang will affect
that task.
Take a look at the power company's service entrances to most homes. Most
will penetrate the roof and come down a wall. Some use "unistrut" and
"unistrut straps" to mount pipe to a wall - available at an Electrical
Supply house like Graybar. If you use 2" heavywall galvanized conduit - and
fill it with concrete, it will resist bending pretty good. Mount a pulley on
the top to raise the antenna.
If you try to attach the pipe to just a facia board, remember that the
facia board *could* come loose.


wrote in message
...
I want to raise the center of my 91 ft folded dipole to at least 35
feet. I live on the west coast of Florida with all the attendant
possibilites of hurricanes. I cannot afford a retractable tower and do
not have room for proper guy wires. I want to be able to put a pulley
at the top so I am able to lower the antenna in the event of high
winds. I have a cement block house with a roof peak of about 16 feet,
I would prefer not to have to pour a base for the "mast".
I would appreciate any advice on supporting the "mast" to the house
wall and what material to use for the "mast" so that it might not be
permanantly bent by 125 mph winds.

Any constructive help gratefully welcomed

On Sat, 2 Jul 2005 16:45:17 -0400, "Hal Rosser"
wrote:

be careful attaching it to the house. The amount of overhang will affect
that task.
Take a look at the power company's service entrances to most homes. Most
will penetrate the roof and come down a wall. Some use "unistrut" and
"unistrut straps" to mount pipe to a wall - available at an Electrical
Supply house like Graybar. If you use 2" heavywall galvanized conduit - and
fill it with concrete, it will resist bending pretty good. Mount a pulley on
the top to raise the antenna.
If you try to attach the pipe to just a facia board, remember that the
facia board *could* come loose.

Hal,
I don't have an immediate need to put up a mast but like your idea
with the unistrut! Hope I remember it when I need it.

Howard

On Sat, 2 Jul 2005 12:15:35 -0700, "Chuck Olson"
wrote:


wrote in message
roups.com...
A rat shack pushup pole, *properly* guyed, should do the
trick. I'm not sure about 125 mph winds though. I'm not
sure many would survive that...But... The pushup masts
are retractable. What I do when a hurricane is coming,
is to retract the mast down to it lowest level. That makes
it super strong, and being low, there is little risk. I've
had those masts ride out hurricanes, even all the way up.
But...It wasn't 125 mph though... Maybe 100-105 mph or so...
You can buy the brackets for the house.
MK


Yes, Radio Shack used to carry them, but not any more, unless you just
happen to find one in a store left over from when they had them. Someone
said Lowes had them, but the stores in the S.F. Bay Area don't - - and in an
on-line search of their stock they don't recognize the product, so maybe
that's dated information, too. I suspect with cable and satellite, hardly
anybody goes to the trouble of putting up an outside TV antenna any more, so
from disuse, we may have lost that resource. There still might be masts
available through small town TV installers in the fringe area around big
cities, but I don't see anything on line except for Wholesale Electronics
Inc who have no stock on hand. The latest manufacturer to take over some of
the business from Rohn, Nello Corp. says they will have a line of
telescoping masts in the Fall of 2005, so you might be able to get one then
through Array Solutions on the West coast or AN Wireless in the East..

If anyone reading this has a 30 ft 3-section TV mast they're willing to sell
for a reasonable price, I'd be interested myself.

73, Chuck W6PKP


Hmm, Radio Shack used to carry telescoping masts; no more though,
according to their web site. However, Lowe's Home Improvement does
list a guyed 30-foot telescoping mast. Probably special order.

Oh, well...

bob
k5qwg

See if a farm supply house or welding shop has some of those square steel
tubing...they usually come in 22 ft lengths. You can then get one that will
telescope in a slightly larger one.
A pier pad at the bottom should be enough to support the bottom and they are
very stout, but still can be raised by one person, and you might find that
kind of mast won't require guying.
wrote in message
...
I want to raise the center of my 91 ft folded dipole to at least 35
feet. I live on the west coast of Florida with all the attendant
possibilites of hurricanes. I cannot afford a retractable tower and do
not have room for proper guy wires. I want to be able to put a pulley
at the top so I am able to lower the antenna in the event of high
winds. I have a cement block house with a roof peak of about 16 feet,
I would prefer not to have to pour a base for the "mast".
I would appreciate any advice on supporting the "mast" to the house
wall and what material to use for the "mast" so that it might not be
permanantly bent by 125 mph winds.

Any constructive help gratefully welcomed

wrote:
I want to raise the center of my 91 ft folded dipole to at least 35
feet. I live on the west coast of Florida with all the attendant
possibilites of hurricanes. I cannot afford a retractable tower and do
not have room for proper guy wires. I want to be able to put a pulley
at the top so I am able to lower the antenna in the event of high
winds. I have a cement block house with a roof peak of about 16 feet,
I would prefer not to have to pour a base for the "mast".
I would appreciate any advice on supporting the "mast" to the house
wall and what material to use for the "mast" so that it might not be
permanantly bent by 125 mph winds.

Any constructive help gratefully welcomed

If you can find a competent machinist in your area then purchase two
decent size pipes and have the machinist install a base seal so you can
force mains pressure into the base , the centre pipe will lift and then
can be locked at full height or dropped in moments.. hope you follow
what I mean .Ten metres is very achievable for little outlay , a simple
short guy and bracket to the house will strong if installed correctly ,
talk to a carpenter for good advice .Good luck.

"Bob Miller" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 2 Jul 2005 12:15:35 -0700, "Chuck Olson"
wrote:


wrote in message
roups.com...
A rat shack pushup pole, *properly* guyed, should do the
trick. I'm not sure about 125 mph winds though. I'm not
sure many would survive that...But... The pushup masts
are retractable. What I do when a hurricane is coming,
is to retract the mast down to it lowest level. That makes
it super strong, and being low, there is little risk. I've
had those masts ride out hurricanes, even all the way up.
But...It wasn't 125 mph though... Maybe 100-105 mph or so...
You can buy the brackets for the house.
MK


Yes, Radio Shack used to carry them, but not any more, unless you just
happen to find one in a store left over from when they had them. Someone
said Lowes had them, but the stores in the S.F. Bay Area don't - - and in
an
on-line search of their stock they don't recognize the product, so maybe
that's dated information, too. I suspect with cable and satellite, hardly
anybody goes to the trouble of putting up an outside TV antenna any more,
so
from disuse, we may have lost that resource. There still might be masts
available through small town TV installers in the fringe area around big
cities, but I don't see anything on line except for Wholesale Electronics
Inc who have no stock on hand. The latest manufacturer to take over some
of
the business from Rohn, Nello Corp. says they will have a line of
telescoping masts in the Fall of 2005, so you might be able to get one
then
through Array Solutions on the West coast or AN Wireless in the East..

If anyone reading this has a 30 ft 3-section TV mast they're willing to
sell
for a reasonable price, I'd be interested myself.

73, Chuck W6PKP


Hmm, Radio Shack used to carry telescoping masts; no more though,
according to their web site. However, Lowe's Home Improvement does
list a guyed 30-foot telescoping mast. Probably special order.

Oh, well...

bob
k5qwg


Just as I thought, Bob, Lowes has you put in your zip code, and I tried my
ex-wife's zip in Washington state - - and there it was - - but using my S.F.
Bay Area zip and looking again - - gone.

Chuck W6PKP