Antenna Masts - Easy Practical Solutions for Ham Radio

Almost all Ham Radio operators need means of supporting antennas. Unless you are fortunate enough to have tress in the right places, you will need some kind of antenna mast. Peter G3OJV, covers a number of off-the-shelf options available from Waters and Stanton in the UK.

LMA ANTENNAS - METAL TELESCOPIC MASTS

LMA HEAVY DUTY FIBRE GLASS TELESCOPIC MASTS

SOIDER POLE TELESCOPIC MASTS - METAL AND FTIBREGLASS

[Rubedo]

Thanks Peter I enjoyed this presentation. Not many demo’s of mast / poles about certainly not UK. My back garden… postage stamp, ☹️ so this has given me something to think about. The mast with the clamp down clips would be the one I’d have, it seems very durable.
Anyway thanks again… re educating myself about radio as it’s been ??? 27 / 28 year absence and your channel has taught me a lot. 73 💙

[richlevenson]

Peter - this is a first-rate video. You did a terrific job showing various mast types. This was more than handy for me. Be well and 73
from Rich, W2FKN

[thomashardy]

A very timely video. I’m trying to determine what masts I need for different applications.

[Jan_Talcott_]

Love your videos. Thank you for taking the time to make them.

[GFUW]

Have used the LMA 10m masts in the past with M0CVO Off-centre-fed dipoles. They held up against some serious winds on Skye and provided many many contacts from IoM and when we hosted G100RSGB. Great portable/temporary gear. Thanks for sharing a few alternatives Pete.

[kuyakano]

I have one of those TMF fibreglass type masts. In constant use and been going strong for over 15 years. Recommended.

[georgetimm]

Thank you for this video. As a previous person noted: Not many video covering deploying a mast for field day operations.

[Roddy]

My HD Spiderbeam 12m mast has held up so far, knock on wood, very well for about 4 years, in central Canada, in some ludicrous weather. It is set up permanently in the back yard, and is the high end of an end fed. The tip does bend towards the matching box, but it's been a real wonder. I use a kevlar string to guy against one direction of wind, and it's also held up really well for such a small looking guage. Great video, Peter.

[hamshackleton]

I use one of the aluminium telescopics for my G5RV. I put a pulley at the top, so I can put the mast up, and then pull up the weight of the wire with a rope. That means if there's a gale coming in, I can lower the wire in seconds, without messing with all the mast clamps. I also drilled a small hole in the bottom of the bottom section, to let accumulated rain out - it's amazing how much the mast collects, which then runs down the inside of the next section down, and so on.

[joeprete]

We have them in the US, a brand called “Easy Up”. Hose clamps are a good idea for extra security!

[rayoyv]

Thanks for sharing.
- family of N0REA

[GordonHudson]

I use stainless steel jubilee clips. A bit harder to find but they don't rust.

[CamilleCullen-owqj]

Great video, many thanks! Robert K5TPC

[boricuaprepper]

Thanks for the video, good information

[laszlokovacs]

I use silicone tubing to sheath stainless steel hose clamps. Used rubber strips with shrink tubing in the past. The silicone is much easier to work with, more durable and gives a better grip.

[migalito]

If your a capable do it yourself person then using the technique that stiffens a sailboat's mast is a great way to have a dependable mast.

Many boat masts use a diamond shape truss along the lenght of the mast to resist the tremendous forces applied by the wind striking the sail. This truss is typically made from stranded wire cable but nylon rope could be used. Its beyond the scope of a heads-up to detail how the truss is assembled, but Google can fill in the details.

Without the diamond truss 30 or 40 feet of 2 inch PVC pipe coupled together from 10 foot lenghts would behave like a piece of spaghetti if held vertical. Once it has the diamond truss installed & resisting bending along its lenght then as some say, bob is your uncle, or good to go.

[ronaldochaveiro]

Muito bom obrigado por compartilhar por cá QRA Voz do Deserto RJ br 73 tudo de bom ai

[CharlesHarpolekvud]

I have an 80 foot tall three legged steel tower Switch holds up a rotor and a five element that I gave for 20 meters, A five of them and Yagi for fifteen meters above And in 10 meter and six meter combine yagi at the top at about 100 feet. A seal pipe mass runs from the top of the tower, And is made to resist bending in my flexing.

[burnettmurray]

Interesting Peter but I'm not sure about the anchor points you mentioned. I would like to have seen this more clearly. I'm in a rented property so using concrete might be a problem.

[TheMaskedPatriot]

What sort of 11 meter or hf vertical would it hold the 2nd and 3rd poles