Tripod for Camo Pole Type Masts

Started by RichardSinFWTX, October 30, 2013, 12:46:46 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

RichardSinFWTX

A couple weeks ago I bought the antenna base pictures below off evilBay


I'm looking for a couple things.  First is a tripod that beefy enough to be able to support a mast made of say ten surplus 4' aluminum camo net poles.  I figure something like that has to be fairly substantial.  Option #2 would be something that could clamp onto the mast on one end and maybe clamped or bolted onto bed of my truck on the other.

Anyone got any ideas and/or pictures?  My county RACES group is doing an exercise in a couple weeks so I'd like to have a solution ready by then so I don't have to rely on my HT.

Thanks guys!

Archangel320420


RichardSinFWTX

Yeah, I think it's pretty slick.  I want the clamp so I can raise and lower the mast by myself which will most likely be the case.

Quietus

I think that you are asking for quite a lot, ie the ability to raise ten sticks of noodly aluminum camo net poles via a tripod.  There might be something out there for that.
 
I sort of specialize in noodley, and yours is quite the task.  Not saying that there is not an item out there to raise a mast into your socket, just saying that ten sticks is quite a lot to stabilize, both coming up to vertical and to stabilize the mast once its raised.
 
Have you figured where you might put intervening stay plates on your ten-stick mast, and how the guy ropes will play nicely amongst themselves as you raise the mast by yourself?  If you find yourself convinced that it might be nice to put out guy ropes from the mast, then how and of what material are you going to make those stay plates?  The spreader wands of camo net poles lend themselves well to being cut down for stay plates and guy ropes.
 
Best of luck to you on raising and stabilizing a tall field expiedent mast.  Your f/e wants are pretty tall at ten sticks, especially if you're set on using the pictured swivel mount.  Might be best, if a tall noogly mast is wanted, to re-define how that might happen for you.  Might be just as easy to start from ground level and ignore the swivel mount, that will save you multiple trips of climbing into your truck bed as a lone antenna erector.

RichardSinFWTX

OK.  I've tinkered around a little with the concept over the weekend and have an idea or two.

There is one thing to add that I forgot to mention earlier.  I do have two guy rings that I bought from the same guy I bought the swivel base from.  I plan to put one between poles 4 and 5 and the other between poles 8 and 9.

I think what I'm basically needing is something to anchor the poles to my truck while I adjust the guy ropes to properly secure the mast so I don't have to hope that someone's along to help out.  I'm thinking I should have this anchor point possibly under the hood onto part of the frame or onto the bed.  At that height it could better support the mast.

When I get to the office tomorrow I'll see if I can make a technical drawing and post here. 

Quietguy

How about welding the base to a piece of square tubing that would slide into the trailer hitch?  Assuming you have a trailer hitch, of course. If you had a guy rope attached to the upper ring that could be pulled to the front of the truck, tilting the mast forward and bracing it against the tailgate or a bracket attached to the tailgate, it might be steady enough to allow you to place the rest of the guys and then pull the mast back vertical.  I don't know if it would be manageable, but it might.  Or might not.

Wally

RichardSinFWTX

No trailer hitch or that would be a pretty cool idea.

I'm also thinking that an easier option might be to go off the bed of the truck rather than from the front.  Would definitely be easier to fabricate.


RichardSinFWTX

#7
It figures!  The one time I need Visio and it doesn't wanna cooperate!  Anyway, here some old school graph paper!!



I'm thinking I go with the bed mounted version rather than having to bend/hammer a piece of bar stock to the correct angles so I can bolt it to the frame from under the hood.  It's only intent is to act as a third hand while I tighten up the guy-lines.

Oh and another detail I forgot in the drawing...the pole is held into the PVC "T" by two hose clamps.

RichardSinFWTX

Hey guys!  I built the bracket based on the drawing above.  Here's how she looks!



I took it along with the base pictured at the beginning of the thread and raised an 8-pole mast and secured it all by my lonesome. 

I was luck in that there was no wind yesterday.  I got the antenna up in the air and the guy-lines secured and left the bracket on just for a little extra support.  I got everything set up only to realize that I left my little precision screwdriver on the workbench so I couldn't open up my antenna analyzer and install the batteries.  Brilliant!!   ::)

Oh well!  It was a good proof of concept run anyway.  The only things I'm adding that aren't in the picture is a small hose to hold down the end of the rod and lock washers on each of the nuts on the right end.  I'll post a full parts list later on and maybe shoot a YouTube video.

I only had four or five people drive by and give me the stink-eye for being parked in the grass.  It will be interesting to see if I get a Nasty-Gram from the HOA later this week.  I was parked right across the street from the builders' office.  I kept looking for someone to come out and tell me that I couldn't be doing that.

TexasRadio

I like the bracket design.
Looks like it aids nicely in the pole assembly.


RichardSinFWTX

It does!  As soon as this glacier that dropped on the DFW area recedes I'll try to shoot some video on the whole setup.

The guy who sold me the base says that it can support up to 43 camo pole sections.   The most I would ever put together is 12.  That's all I've got!