[AMRadio] Valiant and Loop progress

[Anthony W. DePrato]

>I would be able to get away with some sort of 60 foot mast, its only
>going to hold the center of the antennas up, but I have not seen anything
>like a 60 foot mast. Radio shack does not even sell the
>36 foot telescoping mast anymore.

It is not hard to make a mast. I have made a number of them over the years 
. I get one 8 ft 4x4 treated post cut in half put 2 ft in sackcrete side by 
side with 4 inch spacing between them. i then get alu pipe from the 
electric supply house. three 2 in sections these are threaded on both ends 
with coupler. two sections of 1/14 and one section of 1 in. i also get 
one  3 ft piece of  1/2 in all thread. and some permatex for the joints. 
drill two holes in the first  2 in section about 6 ins from the bottom 
another about 6 ins above that . there are for the all thread. you will 
also need nuts and washers for this. drill holes in both 4x4's in the same 
places for the all thread to go thru both the posts and the mast. since you 
are going to walk this up and attach to the house you will not need a third 
post and wench. lay all the sections out put the permatex on the joints put 
them together. attach a couple of pulleys at the top of the top section. 
take the bottom section and put the all thread thru the posts and the 
bottom hole install washers and nuts tighten but not where it will not move 
yet. put your ropes thru the pulleys . get a few guys to help walk it up. 
put the second all thread in place tighten all nuts . attach a house 
bracket. you have a fixed mast with pulleys.
i have made fold over towers this way.  the Navy also had a few towers that 
were made like this. last one i used was at U-46 NAS Norfolk. W4NPT when i 
was station manager.
73 Tony