Version 2 of The Fastest and Easiest Way to Deploy a Fiberglass Mast

Thanks to the suggestions of many viewers, I've made some improvements to the PVC pole mount design. Get your ham radio HF Portable antennas up high and in the clear using one of these.

[bartwesselius]

If you get end caps, you can store all the pegs, paracord and etc. inside the PVC tube.

[USXPOP]

Once again your smooth, calm voice transfers maximum info without a lot of fanfare and excessive talking. This second version seems nearly foolproof except in hurricane weather - and who would go out in that weather? Good video. Don't be so long in publishing the next one.

[mikestone]

As close to perfect as can be and still be simple and inexpensive set up, thanks.

[jeffreyhall]

One minor note on cutting the strap ends on the zip ties, use a flush cutting snips, or just a pocket knife to cut the ends flush. They are really strong in tension, but surprisingly easy to cut off!
And, if you double up on the "sand screws", about a foot apart, then lasso them with a loop at the end of guy, using the nite-eyes 'biners at the other end for tension adjustment, you've essently doubled the effectiveness of the screws. You're using 8 screws instead of 4, but you will sleep better in your tent.
Oh, and the hole between the hooks on the screws is for a rod to help twist them in on harder ground. (And, just as importantly...to twist them back out!)
73 Jeff, KF0PQR

[CoveiraoPS]

I came to Canada, from Brazil. Back there I was Class A ham, PY2. Videos like your encourage me to take some time in my tight agenda to study for the Canadian ham exam =]

[Roddy]

Superb. One of the best ham channels on the Tubes. Everything is laid out and demonstrated clearly.

[andyEJIU]

Hey Tracy, quick tip.instead of wasting lots of time filing the zip ties, just cut to size you want and on the sharp edge use a lighter as this will smooth them off in seconds 😉

[davidsradioroom]

I like the improvements very much. We hams share ideas with each other. 👍

[joecraft]

For a pole base, I made one out of 3" PVC end cap with 10" of pvc pipe added to the cap. (use what ever sice pipe fittings needed for your size pole to fit into)
I drilled a hole into the center of the cap and inserted a 9" carriage bolt and then added a washer, lock washer and nut tightened to the bolt. On the inside of the end cap, I layered in enough silicone to cover the top of the carriage bolt by 1/4" (let it dry between layers). The silicone was self leveled. This gave the base cap assembly a soft, flat base for the pole to sit into and it holds the base steady during use. Just poke it into the ground.
I didn't glue in the pipe so I could shorten during transport. (I put the carriage bolt inside a pool noodle of same length then insert it into the pvc pipe for transport.) And that was my base movement solution. Joe KI5IQE

[BernieWimmers]

Use version 2 this weekend for field day. Held my 31’ mast firm. Thanks for the great idea. K4JDF

[JosephVEGKT]

Hello Tracy!

I have built a stand almost exactly like your version one, and my version two looks vastly different! Since I only have a 12m Spiderbeam and no other mast, I have simply looped the ends of my three guy lines over the pole, and with some carefully placed tape, held them in place. At the end of each line, and at the base of the mast, I place one three-faced aluminum stake. This system is much lighter and more portable, because there is no PVC pipe to carry.

This solution does away with hose clamps AND zip ties. Because the loop in the guy line goes around the mast itself, there is one less component that can cause a critical failure of the system.

My version two is certainly less secure in windy or rainy conditions, but as a POTA operator who is not a camper, I would never leave my mast erected while not actively operating the radio, for safety reasons.

I will send you an email with a couple photos of my version two.

73 de VE3GKT!

[OneFearOffroad]

Just got into GMRS. And with the storms that have came though recently I am actually considering HAM. But I want an antenna set up that I can readily put up and take down if need be for my base station due to living in wooded area. I love this idea and will implement it for my base station set up, Plus I could take it for off roading.

[hammathguy]

My experience with the spiral dog anchors is mixed. If the soil is soft loom or sand, they are darn near impossible to get out of the ground by any other method than unscrewing them. If, on the other hand, you are dealing with hard, rocky soil they are darn near impossible to even get into the ground. Many years ago I was camping with some Scouts on a rocky surface. I couldn't even get the thing to break the surface of the ground. Finally had to drive some steel pegs in with a sledgehammer. The point is know where you are going to operate. Adapt as necessary.

[Locksnut]

Thank you, Tracy, for sharing your efforts and getting others to think and share their ideas. You are a genuine Elmer to many. One suggestion is to melt the ends of the paracord to keep it from fraying. Very 73, N4WLC Bill

[cybersean]

Put a garden spike trough the end cap to keep the pvc bottom from sliding.

[wnatshenanigans]

Great timing... Just the other day, I was thinking "You know who I haven't seen a video from in a while?" :D These are great looking updates. I also trust 550 paracord. In fact, 2 years ago I put up a wire antenna at home, using paracord as the anchor "temporarily" until I could work out something more permanent. It's been holding up through a couple Michigan winters so far with no signs of giving up yet. I would definitely trust it for this sort of deployment!

[WLK]

I am waiting on my antenna/radial wire (due to arrive today) before I can set my SpiderBeam up this weekend. Great ideas. I like the idea of wire ties on the PVC, as I don't want to scratch up my new pole. I will put a spacer inside the pipe (pipe insulation or the like) to stabilize and protect the pole. Also, I will add a grommet boot to my SpiderBeam and over the PVC to keep out all precipitation. I will be adding an end cap and some foam padding inside the cap to minimize impact when the pole collapses for take-down. I will definitely take all your improvements to heart as I put this up this weekend. Thanks for posting and 73, "Bill" KD8BET.

[patrickbuick]

Hahaha... just as I was thinking the niteeyez, you showed them. I don't have enough for all the guy lines yet, so I still use the scouts slip knot for tightening guy lines, but they worked great for tent and hammock lines when camping.

[russ_vee_jr]

Several excellent points in your two vids. Thanks for posting.

BTW: in the US, both Lowes and Home Depot stock 2" and 3" PVC schedule 40 pipe in 3' and 10' lengths.

I use 2" PVC Pipe, in a tilting arraignment on the side of my utility trailer, to slip my 10M SpiderBeam mast into. Very nice fit with just a little side to side slop.

When i need to set up the mast in the open, I'll use 2' sections of sharpened ReBar with a 90 degree bend at the end as stakes. A 3lb ball peen hammer will set them nicely. I'll fabricate a small post pole puller to retrieve the ReBars.

I say I'll do this and that above because my first option for a portable mast is to add a section of tilting 2" PVC pipe to my SUV trailer hitch frame similar to my utility trailer setup.

However, separate parking and mast locations would require the use of your system. Thanks for the info presented in your refined vid #2.

BTW: All your vids provide valuable info.

73 OM

[FreeStuffGuy]

Bill-N6EF-Great ideas. For my homebrew end-fed halfwave, I use a DXCommander 10 meter pole to support the EFHW in an inverted vee configuration. To keep the bottom of the mast from moving, I use a 2 inch PVC cap with a 3/8 inch hole drilled in the middle of it, and drive a 12 inch landscaping spike through the hole into the ground. I insert the bottom of the mast into the cap keeping the pole captive inside the cap. This works great even in soft soil. I haven't tried it in sand yet but it's worked flawlessly on all of my POTA activations so far. I use paracord for guy ropes which works well. Our local Home Depot has a 3 inch pipe used for drainage which might work. There are endcaps which can have holes drilled in the end to drive a 12 inch landscape spike to keep it in place. The drain pipe isn't as thick as 3 inch water pipe but this for this use case, would probably work. Your idea of using rings and tent stakes on each side looks like a great idea as well. Thanks for the great videos.