The Fastest and Easiest Way to Deploy a Fiberglass Mast
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- You say you don't have enough time to use a fiberglass pole when setting up for portable ham radio operations? Take a look at this video and you might change your mind.
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Looks like a wonderful solution. Thanks for taking the time to show this! -Cliff (N4CCB)
You're welcome, Cliff. Congratulations on hitting 10,000 subscribers, well deserved!
This is great Tracy and thanks for taking the time to do this. I am going to get the parts to do the same. I think i will use a little piece of aquarium tubing and put the hose clamp through it just to take the "sharp" edge away from the clamp and the strap. I did similar with my mast for permanent home use to avoid the sections slipping.
Sounds like a good plan.
Great video! I have used these poles for many years, but never saw one deployed like this. Thanks for sharing. 73 Bas PA5BAS
Brilliant.
There are only two things I'd add to this.
One is some protection, perhaps a bit of bicycle innertube, around the mast where it meets the top of the PVC so there isn't such a sharp edge grinding on the mast.
The second might be attaching one of those stakes at the bottom of the PVC pipe so a strong wind won't cause it to rotate over.
This is excellent.
Thank you for your suggestion!
Wow! Just wow, Tracy! I've got 40 foot spiderbeam that takes me a good 20-30 minutes to measure out, stake, and deploy. Not to mention I can use an extra pair of hands in the process, and also not to mention the area I need for guy lines. I'm going to Home Depot this morning to get some straps and PVC and try this out today. 73... Roger / NQ8RP
Have fun with that, Roger! 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Nice! I’ve been running over and over this in my mind and now buying parts. I’m repurposing a 30’ smoke detector pole, without the attachments for detector tests. It’s a stout fiberglass, bit heavier than the pole you’ve erected, but think it’s fine. I’ll add to my base a foot or so to be sure. Great video, appreciate your work!
Thank you, John! Have fun with that project.
Absolutely love it! I am a big fan of field portable vertical work and will definitely give this a run. I will try some aquarium tube (or similar) around the hose clamp to protect the straps a bit. Thanks Tracy for sharing.
Good idea Radio Axe, I've just read your comment after i posted similar.
That seems like a good idea to me!
I would use 4 zip ties to create 4 individual loops around the pipe clamps. Then you can use carabiners to attach or remove the straps anytime.
@@kszx11 another good idea!
This mount idea is really what I’ve been looking for. This will be made by the end of the week for sure. Just in time for summer fun.
I'm a newbie and this looks like a great way for me to get started. Thank you so much.
You're welcome!
Great idea! I'll be building one. Believe I'll put a removable end cap with a spike to insure the lower end doesn't slip sideways. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your comment and have fun out there!
Love it. Another TH-camr turned me on to the Bosch surveyor's tripod, which also does a great job.
Interesting, thank you for the heads up. I must admit I fiddled with similar tripods several years ago and was never comfortable with the stability I was ability to achieve. This mount has worked much better for me.
Great idea, just got my Spiderbeam 12m mast and it's awesome. Very strong all the way to the top. And your pvc pipe method works perfectly and quick.
Nice! Be sure to check out my version 2 video.
Hello, and thank you for the video you shared. I would kindly add some small addition to your setup. If you use another 4 ropes of any kind and tightened them around the bottom of the PVC pipe you will get rid of eventual slip of the unsupported bottom part in case of rapid wind blow.
Regards,
Rossen
LZ5RG 73
Thank you for your suggestion. Your modification makes sense to me. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Brilliant! Thanks for the video Tracy. Will be making this this week for my Sotabeams antenna I just got. Kevin
Enjoy it, Kevin! Be sure to check out my new video on version 2 of this.
Great idea. That looks so efficient.
Fantastic! Just bought an RV...so looking forward to trying this out at a campsite. Norm, VE7APF
Thank you for your comment, Norm! 73 from VE3TWM.
That looks great for POTA. The summits I activate for SOTA in the western US are too rocky for me to get stakes in the ground. I use a ring that fits around the telescopic pole that has holes for tying guy ropes. I tie the guy ropes around rocks and stack rocks around the base of the mast. Doesn't take long. Works well. 73 de K7DMJ
Thank you for sharing your experience! 73 from VE3TWM.
Great idea Terry. Looks easy
Sure is!
This is perhaps the best idea since hot water! You can even use dog ground « screws » from the dollar store for more stability. I will definitely try this. Again, thanks for sharing and have a great day! 73 de VE2VHE
Hi Jean-Francois, thank you for the dog ground screws idea! 73 from VE3TWM.
Great solution!
Now that’s how you get a dipole up in the air! You aren’t messing around Tracey.
Go big or go home, Mike :)
Hi Tracy, excellent! I use a spiderbeam 12m and often don‘t go out because of lack of time for setting it all up. well time is an issue these days. Bus this video leads me to more creativity: why not mount the ropes directly to the pole and minimise package load? there could be a cap at the pole bottom with a kind of long nail to dig into the ground. I have to try this! thanks again.
I would want to use hose clamps on a fiberglass pole in fear of damaging the pole. But there might be a creative way of doing what you suggest that does not damage the pole. There is also the matter of not having to balance the pole when raising or lowering it while using the PVC tube.
yeah it may not damage the pole itself - my first idea is something like a jarglass ‚rubber‘ (correct word?) - a very strong elastic or a part of a plastic tube pvc that is just smaller than the lowest element of the pole... I‘ll let you know when something works.
What a great idea, thanks for the knowledge
You're welcome!
Nice! 🤩 Question: Have you tried same technique directly on SOTA mast? Maybe no need of this extra pole than? Just a thought. Thanks a lot for showing this smart “how to” video!
You're welcome!
What you suggest could be done, but not with hose clamps as they could damage the mast. Also, the tube allows you to stand the mast upright without holding it, allowing you to use both hands to attach the antenna and raise the mast with less effort.
I can see another taller one for the Ballun box on my HyEndFed ! 👍 What do you think Tracy ?
Height is might!
Excellent idea. Definitely going to try this. Tnx & 73
Thank you! 73 from VE3TWM.
Thank you for sharing this good idea!
You're welcome!
Very nice idea. I'll be doing this also.
Good luck!
Good luck, Dean!
Great idea. I have been thinking of building something to set up my 31 feet pole and you simplified my job. What size pvc pipe do you use. How big is the diameter? 73
ke9le
3" outside diameter and 3 feet long. 73 from VE3TWM!
Great idea. Went to the hardware store to get the parts.
Enjoy!
Awesome! I'd love to see that 50 ft pole in this pipe! The 40 ft Spidermast here looks just perfect. I'm thinking if this method would help-out as a starting base point support even for my 60 ft Spidermast... It could be tricky though. Thanks for sharing this brilliant idea anyway! 73! Linas LY2H
This setup works well for my 50' DX-Wire mast, but the 60 foot Spiderbeam is considerably heavier. As long as you guyed the Spiderbeam up a bit higher you'd be alright. 73 from VE3TWM.
@@OutdoorsOnTheAir Thanks! Will start with my 43' S9 and then see!
Great video. Great idea. I'm in the process of getting a 12m spider pole and this gives good flexibility of where the pole can be set up if there are no other objects to anchor to and space is limited that would prohibit long guy lines. This makes a very small and reasonable footprint.
Would you recommend a longer stake than 7" or would that be adequate for this setup provided the soil is nice and firm? Thanks.
Thank you for your comment! Longer is usually better, but I've had more practical experience since recording this video and have changed my thinking on the stakes. Due to multiple instances of having the poles come down where I have deployed on rain-soaked soil, I have started using screw-in ground anchor pegs. I'll be showing these off in a future video.
Great idea for those on a limited budget and no trees. My trees got wiped out by our last hurricane.(KK5AP)
Yikes! Sorry to hear about your trees.
Looks do able and a wonderful idea. Will get me outside and on the air portable. What's your favorite antenna
73 KQ4CD
Hi Paul, I hope you do get out and try portable ops! If I had to choose just one antenna and had the room to put it up, I'd go with the HyEndFed Field Day. If I could only put one up for 40, I use the HyEndFed 4 band mini. 73 from VE3TWM.
Great video and very affordable! Thanks much! - Karl - KR6G
Thank you, Karl!
Give us an idea of what telescopic pole to get.
Spiderbeam 12m.
I'll be trying that next weekend! Thanks so much for the demo, 73 VE3KIU
You're welcome! 73 fromVE3TWM.
Awesome!!!
Brilliant solution, thanks for sharing! 73 de IW9HOJ
You're welcome, thank you for leaving your comment! 73 from VE3TWM.
Great idea! Great video's New ham new general class.do you have recommendations for a particular brand of fiberglass pole?
Thank you! Spend a bit more than the entry level and get yourself one of the 12m Spiderbeam poles.
Brilliant!
To remove the risk of the base moving in high winds - insert a large screwdriver into the ground so just the handle shows and slip the PVC pipe over it...
Thank you for the tip!
Thank you for the video! Your method gave me the idea to 3D print a collar to directly fasten around the top of the lower section of the mast. It weighs less and deploys extremely quickly. I made one for my 12m Spiderbeam pole and it works very well. Pics here: twitter.com/kevinwculp/status/1292609197067177985?s=21
Great stuff, Kevin!
Great idea off to make one now so much easier for setting up on own too, thanks for sharing, G0VCW soon to be/P
You're welcome! Now get out there :)
Need "dead cat" on microphone. Lots of wind noise.
(K3HQI) This is a great idea for a telecoping antenna. I use an alternative that will allow me to get a VHF/UHF antenna (like a jpole - i do the lader line one in a thin wall pvc radome) or with two of them i can support a wire antenna at 22 feet. This is a different solution for a different situation. th-cam.com/video/Ti4F1wxkz9A/w-d-xo.html I do a lot of public service and emcomm events, quick up and down is important.
Hi Ralph, thank you for sending the link to your video. You did a good job with it 😀
You have to work on your audio!~!!~
Thanks for the tip.
Nice way to erect your mast quickly.
Couple of silly observations, why do you colonial types insist on calling it aluminum, when it is obvious to the civilised world of is aluminium.
We do fly those are not 'hose clamps' they are jubilee clips!
Keep up the good work
And here I thought those were two different metals. And Jubilee clips? Do ladies put them in their hair during celebrations? 😀 73 from VE3TWM.
Oh my word that is cool! I will definitely be trying that! Wow! Thank you!!! What size tube should I use and what size and length of cargo straps do you recommend?
Go for a tube that is 75-80% as tall as the bottom section of the mast. The straps should be at about a 45 degree angle when the unit is deployed, so make sure they are long enough to do that. Get ones that are a bit longer and you can use the ratchet to adjust to the ideal length.
How long and what width are the straps
This has to be one of the best ideas I have seen so far you put up a dipole antenna anywhere even a temporary one for your home I have mine in the tree and it was a son of a gun to get it wrapped around the branches and only have it maybe about 25 to 30 ft. So now I found a better way to get my antenna up to at least 50 feet. I would like to thank you very much for sharing this video. I like the idea of the gentleman saying about strapping down the bottom of the tube so it won't kick out. We'll have to play around with the bottom so doesn't kick out I live in a very windy area in need to definitely have to figure out a way for get some kick out. Maybe if I make a small base at the bottom to put the PVC pipe on an anchor the base to the ground also. That should help it from kicking out. Thank you again for the great video.
You're welcome!
Excellent idea, although I am a bit worried about being stable. Do you not think one more of the tentpegs hoseclamped to the underside of the pvc pipe would keep it from "getting swiped off it's feel" even better? Kind regards, Xander.
Interesting thought, Xander. When the four straps are set up, they exert enough downward pressure that an anchor is not really necessary. But I am a fan of sensible over-engineering so why not?
I had that thought as well. Maybe 4 pegs around the bottom, or just attach a pvc test plug with a long piece of all thread or a clean out screw and just run a long spike through that.
Instead of that, just cut the PVC at a 45 degree angle and use a couple mallet taps to set it in the ground. Alternatively if you have to mount it on something hard, you could flip the PVC over and have the angled portion pointing up. One less peg to carry.
Small piece of rebar driven into the ground ?
great solution, but I would want something at the bottom of the PVC to peg it, to stop the bottom kicking out
The biggest problem I have faced is with support pegs getting pulled out of the ground. I think I've got that issue licked and will post another video later this year to address the matter.
I use small ratchet straps on a canvas tent, the 'pegs' are road 'fencing' pins, made from rebar. Do a google search for 'road fence pins'. I cut them to a foot or so, they never move. May be a bit overkill, but better safe than sorry :) atb, 73 Richie.
I use a 20 foot Black Widow crappie pole for my mast. I've been looking for a good way to put it up in the field. Thanks for solving my problem.
I honestly thing most people complain that they take too long as they want to validate their choice not to purchase one. I have used buddipole stuff but have swapped to a speaker wire dipole which I plan to convert to a linked dipole which I string up either in a tree or now that I got one to mess with a a 24' telescopic fishing rod. Weight is my big concern doing SOTA so I'm always looking to shave ounces as long as I can do so without loosing functionality.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
I've been surprised how well a speaker wire dipole works, too.
Great idea I'm going to get me some pipe and make one for my fishing pole I use for my radio antenna the simple ideas are the best, atb John.
Have fun with it, John!
Love this method. I use PVC pipes for desert use with a DIY tarp shelter. I use 10" galvanized nails as tent pegs to penetrate the hard desert dirt. I also sometime use a 10" nail to set my PVC pipe used as a center support over the nail so it does not slip. Drive a NAIL straight into the ground and set the pipe over it. I also use trucker's hitches and/or Eskimo bowline knot to provide adjustable strap length. I am cargo-strap ratchet challenged and NEVER can get them to work as advertised LOL. In soft ground, I used cut to length metal fence wire support poles. The green flat type. Cut a sharp angle at one end and can drive it deeper into the ground which provides additional resistance from being pulled up and also to resistance to being pulled toward the pole by strap/rope tension.
Great tips, thank you!
Just bought a 6m fibreglass fishing pole at a rally and am now thinking about how I am going to support it. I love the simplicity of this arrangement.
Ingenious! I wonder if this is something I could utilize in my back yard. I just now am looking for a way t o put up a 22 ft fiberglass pole for my doublet. It would sure save drilling into my lanai. hihi.
Thanks for sharing this, I'm really blown away by how easy that is to set up! A question: I'm assuming you can probably just pre-attach the hose clamp and tie down straps to the PVC pipe, so you're just carrying that as a unit, correct?
Absolutely correct.
@@OutdoorsOnTheAir Great, thanks!
Good pole. Your voice sounds like an actors who I can remember their name. Thanks for sharing. Great pole to make a loop with.
Thank you for your comment!
Tracy - nice pictorial. Looks like a great method!
Thank you, Scott!
the top of it is 5/16". how would it fit on an antenna like a protron 99 where the base of the antennas is 1.25"?
cool! I'm getting into hnt mining on the 900mhz bandwidths. I want one of these on my house lol jk
Some places won't let you put wire in trees anymore due to impact to the trees and wildlife.
This is exactly the same system I use. So quick and easy to put up and the pole is very stable when I attach my homebrew 10, 20 & 40 clipped dipole up in an inverted V configuration. The only differences I have are that I have cut the bottom in such a way that I have 4 little spikes to stop the tube pushing out from the bottom, and I use tent guy lines instead of ratchet straps. Real easy system and would recommend it to anyone wanting to use a pole setup.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Brilliant!! Saves me a couple hundred bucks and it’s easier than a ground screw.
I'm so happy this video came up on my feed! I've been thinking about deploying a tall, telescoping mast in the field as an alternative or replacement for my base-loaded vertical. I'd like the option of running either a fan dipole or an off-center fed dipole at least some of the time. This installation method will work for that and the additional equipment needed is negligible.
Thank you so much for posting this. 73 de AG7TX
You're welcome, and thank you for leaving your comment
Great video. You've given me some additional options on setting up my DX Commander antenna when portable. Thanks de VA3NIE
You're welcome! 73 from VE3TWM.
It occurred to me (and I can't be the only one) that that looks easy enough that it would make sense to just make up three of the PVC-base-with-straps, and use two of them to either side to anchor an inverted V...
Am I nuts, or does that make sense?
Do you mean use PVC pole mounts for the ends of the antenna? If yes, that's overkill. I tie lenghts of paracord off to the ends and terminate those with tent pegs plugged into the soil or tie the ends off to a handy tree trunk.
Nice video. It isn't all wobbly like most ham radio videos I see on YT. Just one comment: The shadow from the bill on your cap is shadowing your face to the point where it's very hard to see.
Great feedback, thank you!
Have you ever tried placing a wire through the pole itself I have 5 m long fishing rod that I would like to use as a permanent antenna so have you ever tried like treading The Wire through the rod itself and how it affects the antenna. Great videos thanks for the videos and best 73s de YU5KBM
Hi Branko, to answer your question I have never run the wire inside the pole. In my estimation it's more work for negligible gain. There would be no practical difference in performance regardless of whether the wire is inside or outside the pole. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Can you give me the website for high end company that you were talking about at the end of this video? I’m not having any luck looking for a high-end or high-end company. I love your video.
Thank you very much! HyendCompany in Holland www.hyendcompany.nl
whats the tallest pole you've used with this system so far?
My 15m (50 foot) DX-Wire.
Great video, Tracy… I've been using a four dollar Home Depot metal fence post to support my 33 foot fiberglass pole. It works well but often requires a 3 pound sledge to sink the fence post deep enough. I like your approach a lot better. This is so good, I'm also going to spread the word on your video on Twitter and Facebook. 73 de Robert K3RRR
Thank you, Robert! 73 from VE3TWM.
Thanks for sharing this tip, was looking for a solution, I got it now. 👍✌
You're welcome, hope you get to go out and try it soon.
HOW have I not seen this before! I love it. Thanks Tracy for your time and great advice.
Where do you get a 50 foot push up pole now days?
You can order direct from DX-Wire in Germany or Spiderbeam sells one. Good luck!
I think it is easier and faster to just drive in a T-post and duct tape the pvc sleeve to the T-post.
73 es Aloha, NH6Y
Interesting, thank you for sharing! 73 from VE3TWM.
Hello Tracy
Thanks for the viedo.
It has inspired me to adopt your attachment style.
However, I use slightly stronger tent pegs, I have made these from angle iron 20 x 20 mm. But the execution with you, with the PVC pipe is great.
Thanks and 73 de DG1RUG
Great tip! Thank you and 73 from VE3TWM.
Beats a tripod by the look of it. Add a cap with a ⅜-24 bolt and union for the lower mount antennas.
Interesting!
Awesome idea! I'm going to send this video to my son (N9LUC) because he'll love it too. He's getting into POTA. Thanks for sharing. N9XFX
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing this awesome idea!! 73
I also got this idea from Ron. This system is great for uneven ground. I use this setup all the time. I use paracord or 7mm nylon cordage and 30cm rebar as pegs. The 70cm diameter pvc pipe is about 1 meter long. My 12 meter and 15 meter telescope poles stand great, even in very high winds. I even use this setup for my 8 meter squid poles, using smaller diameter pvc pipe. Not all ground is as soft as where you are in this vid. I have to use a short handle hammer to get my pegs into the rocky ground. Not 5 minutes, but still fast. Life is too short to "just throw a wire up into a tree." And the corollary: Getting it back down after the tree branches snare it.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Thanks - a great video and has given me some great ideas.
I realize this video is from 4 yrs ago and there are many methods to raise a mast. I've looked up different options and this one is by far the easiest and requires no pvc pipes or straps or clamps. All you need is a pole ring, 3 guy cords and 3 stakes. Works like a champ. th-cam.com/video/_-j_kbx0G10/w-d-xo.html . I also use guy rope tensioners (3d printed, or you can boy them,) so you easily apply tension on the guy lines without making knots.
Thank you for the link!
@@OutdoorsOnTheAir Thank you for making your video. The more knowledge out there the better. 73
2.2k likes. you're a star now. 🙂 great video.
😂 thank you!
Thanx for the video! That gave me an nice idea how to make it even simplier, want to test it
Please share your results!
And...?
I also got the idea from Ron. I do it even quicker. For not too strong weather conditooions I put the hose clamp directly on my 12m Spiderbeam pole, made some loops with paracord and put them on the hose clamp. I then use some paracord and good, light weight tent stakes. I have used the PVC tube, but for the 12m Spiderbeam I found it not necessary. I did take an end cap for PVC tube, put a long nail in it and set the Spiderbeam pole in in to keep it from sliding off to the side. I also found this useful with the PVC tube. I also sometimes just lean the extended pole against a tree. This method is useful in my vacation qth which is on very rocky ground, and it is very difficult to hammer stakes into the ground. 73! David SV0SGS
Thank you for sharing your experience, David! I must admit I am reluctant to fasten the hose clamps to my poles due to fear of damaging the pole. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Outdoors On The Air i haven't seen any damage to my spiderbeam pole. been doing it for a year now. cut a piece of innertube to put between hose clamp and pole. that is what spiderbeam basically sells for its 18m and taller poles. vy 73! david sv0sgs
Great video, thanks so much. I'm stealing this idea! Lol, that's the point of youtube right. Sharing of ideas? So you gave me a tip for improvement. I will return the favor. Get a 'dead cat' for your microphone to clear out the wind noise. They come in all shapes and sizes and make a huge diff. Hope that helps...you certainly helped me. :)
Helping others is the whole point of my channel, Tom :)
My point and shoot camera does not have an external mic jack so I bought some "dead cat" stick-ons for the internal mic a couple of years ago. The stick-ons get flattened over time and as a result lose their effectiveness. It's time to replace the first set I had on. Thanks for the tip, though!
Thumbs up
Thank you!
How tall is the mast? That wont do for a permanent installation or a storm.
Respectfully, I have practical experience showing otherwise. You need to have very good (screw-in) ground stakes, though.
I cannot believe I haven't seen this video before. Awesome solution Tracey 73!
Thank you and 73, Tim!
Tracy....I tried using an old Bogen Manfrotto tripod for a 32 footer. I bungee corded the top of the tripod to the mast. I then screwed in a dog leash anchor and bungeed the bottom of the mast to the anchor to keep the end from kicking out. It worked! I had it up for 7 hours. Now, I wouldn't trust this arrangement on a blustery day but it was good enough for my activation at K-2175 last Saturday. I hung an N9SAB EFRW from the top. This new antenna has effectively doubled my contact counts.
Any tips if you live on rocky ground? (Arizona)
I’m yet to deploy this on a mountain in the wind etc... But I have been experimenting with this very setup using simple buckle straps with a carabiner attached to them. The straps are are tightened around big-ish rocks on the ground surrounding the centre of the mast and the cargo straps from the pipe clipped into the carabiner. Obviously depends on having tricks of the right size lying around where you set up. Don’t have a solution yet for how to do it on bare rock...
Now that is clever.
Great idea Tracy ! A 33 foot is equal 10 meters .
Used the EFHW configuration is the 20 and 10 m Han band.
Right Tracy ?
Very great job. You have a perfect response to erected my 12m Spiderbeam fiberglass poles for futures Sota operations with Delta Loop antenna. Thank you so much.
Jean-Noël - F4GDZ
Great idea!
Wow, even simpler than the three inch pvc pipe, two four inch pvc toilet flanges and three straps and less cost. May just work for eleven meter skip, in a HOA.
Hey do you have any ideas about setting a up a telescoping mast on a 3rd floor condo decK? thanks
Hi Doug, I sure do. Here are a couple to get you thinking:
- bungee the mast to a vertical deck rail if available.
- If that option does not exist, use a heavy Christmas tree stand to put up your own (4 foot or so) vertical pole to affix the mast to.
I'm sure you will come up with something that will work.
Thanks a lot! And yes I came up with an idea. Im building a 20 ft. Length mast and going to put up a inverted v for 40 meters, completely steath too 😆
Killer idea! Thanks. Dumb question: how would you recommend affixing a VHF antenna (like a comet or DBJ-1) to such a telescopic?
Since getting on HF all I have used is various ground mounted antenna with loaded coils. Your finished before I have untangled my 4 radials, I actually timed it.