[NLRS] Portable antenna masts

[Doug Reed]

When I was shopping Saturday, I saw a possibility for a rover or 
portable antenna mast.

There is a 16' extendable aluminum flag pole at Harbor Freight on
sale for about $70. This pole collapses to about 5' tall. It is around
2" diameter at the base and still around 1.5" diameter at the top. It is
a fairly substantial pole as would be expected for something holding a
flag in the wind. I'm guessing it could hold a small tri-band beam for
Field Day or a 6M or 2M beam without much trouble.

This might be an option for a trailer hitch mounted antenna mast that 
gets extended when you arrive at a rover site. Before anyone takes that 
as gospel, they better check out the mast themselves and decide what it 
can hold. I think a single antenna at the top will be OK, but I expect 
any antenna clamps lower down would crush the mast. That is one point 
where the nested square tubing mast has some advantages....

73, Doug Reed, N0NAS.