[Lowfer] LowFER Grabber and Converter

[Ed Phillips]

On 9/23/2012 3:13 PM, ToddRoberts2001 at aol.com wrote:
> I have worked with a 40 ft TV push-up mast in the past.
> (Actual length about 36 ft) I added a
> ten-foot length of 1-1/4" steel tubing on the top to make it 46ft long
> total.
>   
> The galvanized steel push-up mast  was extremely heavy and hard to  handle
> compared to an  aluminum mast.
*Amen to that!!!!  Hardly a one or even two-man job but cheap _or used 
to be_ and available at the  nearest hardware or Radio Shack store.*
> There are several ham suppliers of  aluminum
> tubing in six-foot sections that are much lighter and easier to
> set up. DXEngineering is one supplier. The tubing with the slotted ends
> that use hose clamps are nice but
> be sure to use some kind of electricians grease between the sections to
> insure good
> electrical contact with the antenna out in the weather. The connections can
>   degrade
> quickly with aluminum to aluminum contact and moisture.  The insides  of
> the mast can quickly
> saturate with condensed water and water vapor. It should be allowed to
> drain on the bottom.
> Drill a weep hole on the very bottom to let the moisture out.
>   
> 73 - Todd WD4NGG
>   
> In a message dated 9/23/2012 5:37:11 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> evp at pacbell.net writes:
>
> I'm sure those new verticals would be great but not inexpensive.  As I
> recall the price [circa 1980 to be true] of a 30 foot pushup mast was
> around $40.00 and guys here in Socal didn't bother making connections
> between sections - at least when they were new there was enough
> metal-to-metal contacts between the sections.  Top loads are a problem
> but one can get out a fairly decent signal without one. Good ground
> mandatory of course.
>
> Ed
>   
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