Telescoping pole? Where to get one?

[w7wv]

For occasional use I would like to have a telescoping fiberglass (?) pole for the MH. 20-30 range would be nice.
I am looking for something with lightweight construction that I can store easily.
I want to use it to elevate a wire to be fed by my AH-4 tuner.
Does anyone have any recommendations?

[TXiceman]

http://www.tmastco.com/

Not too expensive.

Then there is always Mighty Fine Junk.


Ken

[w6pea]

http://www.tmastco.com/

Not too expensive.

Then there is always Mighty Fine Junk.


Ken

Thanks for the link......I have been looking for a Mast like that. :jitter:

[wa8yxm]

Well Sunsetter and at least one other company make telescoping flag poles. I prefer metal to fiberglass myself

http://www.sunsetterflagpole.com/ <- Metal poles

http://www.wonderpole.com/ <- Fiberglass poles

Read the documentation on the poles and you will understand why I like metal better

NOTE put Telescoping Flag Poles into Mr. Google's famous web site and.... A lot pop up

[w7wv]

OK, I just found these on the internet by Jackite and they will do the job and the price is right.
It appears many hams are using these too.
Here's a link for anyone interested.

http://www.jackite.com/index.php?cPath=41_44&osCsid=b68d4d9ce3d7b729ac71ee0c83542f8e

I also found these on eBay for less than $41 plus shipping. They collapse to 46".

[wa0mqe]

I realize this is abit late in posting, but if you haven't found one yet, you might try the MFJ-1910 33-foot fiberglass pole. It's specifically built for antenna's.

http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-1910

[wa8yxm]

There are several companies that make telescoping flag poles. Just google on them, some are metal some fiberglass... Mine is metal

Also you can get a painter's pole.. I've seen these that were.. Well, let's see it was a 2 story house with a steep roof and a half basement and we were painting the very peak while standing on the ground... You figure it out.. That was one LONG pole

[Manual Garcia O'Kely]

The MFJ 33' lightweight mast is OK for a vertical or supporting maybe part of a dipole - the end piece is just as whippy as a fishing pole and about as rigid...

BUT, I removed the last section and put a 14 ga wire inside, taped to the top and it's made a dandy vertical with a coupler at the base and radials. Works decent on most bands with 100 watts and since it tucked into one of my trees, it's subtle.

But if you want a more rigid pole, MFJ makes them as well, heavier and more expensive, but some of them look like they could hold up a small antenna other than wire.

[One Country Boy]

I ordered one of the 31 ft kite poles off e-Bay. I've not used it yet but extended it out. Will be nice to have while traveling I think.

[wa8yxm]

I can see were a couple of them could be used, Properly mounted they could hold the ends of about a 40 meter dipole or a 80 meter slinky type dipole.

[wa0mqe]

Manuel... that's a good idea running the wire up the inside center. I have mine mounted to the ladder rack on my motorhome. I've been thinking of a good way to run a wire up the pole. I was thinking wrapping a 16 or 14 gauge wire around the outside would do the job, like you with a tuner at the base or course. Wrapping two or three turns per section I'd have 80 or 90 feet of wire. But maybe just running it up the center would work just as good. When I lower it for travel maybe the wire will just bunch up down toward the bottom.

[Radioman]

I'm using one of these: Jackite.com

This looks interesting: http://shop.dx-is.com/main.sc

Radioman

[Radioman]

I'm using one of these: Jackite.com

This looks interesting: http://shop.dx-is.com/main.sc


Radioman

[Radioman]

Manual,
Sorry about the double post concerning the glass pole.
I meant to add a friend of mine uses a clothesline retractor or whatever
it's called using real flexible wire like I think flexweave brand.

Radioman

[wa8yxm]

Problems with running a wire up the center are three fold..... One may not be an issue on fiberglass, One you can deal with, and one may not be a problem.

1: As the pole swings in the breeze the wire "Slaps" tin inside of the pole.. This makes noise, however with a small wire and a fiberglass pole.. Perhaps not

2: When you lower the pole you need to do something with the wire, Roll it up on a fishing reel perhaps?

3: There is not always a clear path to the top. the tubes may have solid plugs in the bottom, I do not know if drilling them out is reasonable.


Still..... Good I think it's a good plan..

[mexsunny]

Check sporting centers, such as Sportsman's warehouse, for collapsible or sectional fishing poles. I have seen some pretty strong ones that are fairly long for surf use.

[WB4VYH]

During my years in the "dirt" Air Force, HF Radio was used a lot. The tactical HF whip antennas were fiberglass (metal wire inside and metal sections on the end), the sections were about 5 feet or so long and screwed together, for a max length of 32 ft (any length above 15 ft should be guyed. These things were tough and stood up very well. They were lots of add ons, including guying equipment, carry bags, ground mount tripods, clamps for adding wire to make it in an inverted L. However, they came in only one color, Olive Drab!

Additionally, the Camo kits we deployed with uses fiberglass (as I remember there were some medal one also ) poles (to support the cammo netting)about 3 ft long, and about 1.5 IN in dia. and were swaged so that one fit into the next. They were pretty durable and , you guessed it, they were also olive drab!

We also had HF Antenna Support Kits, called "GRA-4!" These things were designed to sopport almost any configuration of a wire antenna for HF use. A compleat GRA-4 had any item you would need to put up a HF Antenna. Wire, center-feed sections, end insulators, coax, guying kits, base plates, masts, et al! The mast sections were aluminum, either 3 or 5 feet long (different kits) swaged ends and were designed to be installed to a 40 ft with proper guying! Very strong mast sections, and in my favorite color.....olive drab!

There was also a NVIS Antenna Kit, but it was a bit real-estate intensive. It worked pretty well for "in-theater" (70-350 mile range) communications.

I have seen parts of all the above "systems" at Ham Fest and also surplus stores. Remember these systems were for Tactical use (but not to be back-packed) and were made to erect quickly and to pack up compactly, if not lightly! I have made great use of parts of these systems during my ham activities! OK, I confess I have been know to paint them a color other than olive drab.

The next time you see a booth with lots of Olive drap stuff sittin' around it at a ham fest.....stop and look...it might give you an idea!

Al

[wa8yxm]

I don't like the way many fiberglass poles flex in the wind.

My sunsetter flag pole, however, is metal and does not flex so much. I could put a small beam up there if i locked it so the pole don't rotate

Small = "the world above 50 MHZ" and not much of that Example 4 element on 2 meters

[k8zfj]

OK, I just found these on the internet by Jackite and they will do the job and the price is right.
It appears many hams are using these too.
Here's a link for anyone interested.

http://www.jackite.com/index.php?cPath=41_44&osCsid=b68d4d9ce3d7b729ac71ee0c83542f8e

I also found these on eBay for less than $41 plus shipping. They collapse to 46".


I purchased one a few months ago & first used it this past weekend while working a qrp contest & camping, in 2 different antenna setups, and both used the mast lashed to ladder:
1 - ran a 66' pc of wire in somewhat of an L configuration to tuner
2 - mast was center support for 40M inverted V, fed with twin lead via balun to rig

setup # 2 provided most contacts, but wouldnt tune up worth a crap on 20M, where setup #1 would.

rigs used were an IC703+ & Rockmite on 40M; max outout pwr was 2w; farthest qso from RI was FL on 20M

darn this is FUN !

[wa8yxm]

Where as I do not recommend fiberglass.. It bends too much

Sunsetter (http://www.sunsetter.com/order_items.asp?category=1) made the aluminum pole I use.. it's Bronze to better blend with my rig.


Scroll down a bit.. Can not link to the product itself

There are other companies that make both Fiberglass And Metal.. I thought Sunsetter did but .. alas, did not find it.


Also at a ham fest (The only one I attended this year was Hazel park) I met a man who was selling a bag This bag is, or appeared to be, a military product. In the bag was either fiberglass or metal sectional poles. as I recall about 5-6 feet, these fit together like the sections of a "Gen-Turi" exhaust extension, there kit comes with a guy ring or two, and a base plate (One of several) is very light in weight (Metal weighs less than fiberglass, as I well know, driving a fiberglass towed) and the cost was amazng low.. I forget the cost, but it was not much.

Now this dealer was from Michigan as I recall... but if you haunt the hamfests... You could get lucky

Next time I run across him and have a couple of spare 20's I'm buying.

[k8zfj]

yep, they do bend in the wind, but for short term portable ops, seems to work well

[KE5ZRT]

Well Sunsetter and at least one other company make telescoping flag poles. I prefer metal to fiberglass myself

http://www.sunsetterflagpole.com/ <- Metal poles

http://www.wonderpole.com/ <- Fiberglass poles

Read the documentation on the poles and you will understand why I like metal better

NOTE put Telescoping Flag Poles into Mr. Google's famous web site and.... A lot pop up

Thanks from the link...the sunsetters look nice. Rohn also makes a solid pushup pole: http://www.3starinc.com/rohn_telescopic_masts.html

[wa8yxm]

Depends on how long you want it and how strong you want it but telescoping poles are very common now days

On the strong, end are flagpoles... desighed to hold a flag aloft they can support quite a wind load. they come in both Fiberglass and metal.. Mine is 25' metal.

On the lighter end are painter poles.. Mine is 12 feet long and came from Home Depot (About 16 bucks as I recall) I have seen them up to 40 feet but this type of pole ABSOLUTLY must be guyed and I'm not sure how "Strong" the longer poles would be.

This is in addition to things like "Flagpole buddy" poles and such.

I got my flagpole (With drive on base) from Sunsetter. Other companies make them too

Another option I've seen (Two of them in fact) At a swap fest (Hazel Park (Michigan) ARC) one of the vendors had bags of fiberglass poles.. These too need guying but are very strong, Military in appearance.. A bag full of these fit-together sections might weigh 10 pounds. The Hazel Park ARC also has a portable tower, Again military but this is much much heavier. Again it should be guyed. But where the fiberglass poles might hold one end of a dipole or long wire (I use my painter's pole for one end of a long wire. I use the flag pole both for the flag, when needed, and one end of my "Short long wire" That is in fact what I"m using now. This is about 20 feet of stranded copper soldered to one end of a SLINKY, the other end is attached to the end of a rope, which is then attached (By a short 2nd rope) to the flag pole. Normally the other end of the rope would run to an extended ladder hanging on the back of the rig but right now I'm using the painter's pole cause... Well.. I need that ladder for today's activities (This week the name of my rig is POETIC,,, That way I can WAX Poetic, you see (Bad pun, I know). I'm about to head south for the winter and a fresh wax job is 1-2 MPG so it is worth the effort)

But the fact is telescoping poles. both Fiberglass and metal, are real easy to find.

OH, if you go with a painter's pole cut a wood triangle (1 x 12 will do) drill a hole just big enough that with effort and perhaps a few notches in the first half turn of thread you can screw it onto the painter's pole.. Drill hole at each corner of the triangle

One hole gets the end of the long wire

The other two..... Guy lines

Seal stain the wood (or paint it well) for weather protection.

[KE5ZRT]

I just found a link to the "Flagpole Buddy (http://www.flagpolebuddy.com/)" mentioned above. It is pretty cool and will probably work well for the uhf/vhf beam and rotator I want to install...and only $120!!!!!

[WD8QBQ]

Well Sunsetter and at least one other company make telescoping flag poles. I prefer metal to fiberglass myself

http://www.sunsetterflagpole.com/ <- Metal poles

http://www.wonderpole.com/ <- Fiberglass poles

Read the documentation on the poles and you will understand why I like metal better

NOTE put Telescoping Flag Poles into Mr. Google's famous web site and.... A lot pop up

The wonderpole link is very good and look what I found on the bottom of the page and very easily overlooked.

http://www.wonderpole.com/wp640_630.html

Yes more costly, but 40' tall WOW :cheer:

JIM :clap:

[wa8yxm]

Fiberglass poles tend to lean over some.. This may or may not be a problem for you.. I use an aluminum pole from Sunsetter, not nearly as flexible. This too can cause problems,, But it's got a decent wind load rating (FLAG pole after all)

I have seen, not telescoping but 'Stackable' poles at ham fests for pocket change.. these usually come in 8' sections and you can buy as many as you wish from the dealer, 16', 24' 32' 40' you do have to guy them less you use a weighted base (park on) they sell those too.