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wa8yxm · 10-06-2010, 09:25 AM

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.

10-06-2010, 09:25 AM	#23
wa8yxm Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Mobile, on the road Posts: 1,139	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.