[Elecraft] OT: looking for a very lightweight telescoping mast

[Mike Stricker]

Hi,

Regarding an inexpensive telescoping tower...

I've been using galvanized conduit at all corners of my house to support various antennas for over 13 years without any sign of failure.  I use a 10'x1.5" section going into the ground 1', and then I put a 10'x1.25" section into that with a 1' overlap and lastly, a 10'x1" section into that with a 1' overlap.  I use stainless steel hose clamps tightened down so that the smaller one can't "fall" into the larger OD pipe.  I connect the two sections with copper wire so that the pipes can't rotate with respect to each other.  I also put a plastic inverted cone over each coupling so that water can't get into the pipes and do the same for the top or use a plug.

The 10'x1.5' section is attached to the eaves at about 9' and I don't use guy wires.

On one of them, I've had a 14' 2 meter vertical at the top.  On another, I've had a yagi for TV mounted close to the top which is about 27'.

To support my wire antennas, I add another 5' of aluminum tubing that I have just to make it over 30'.

Mike
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