WorldwideDX Amateur Radio Forums

I would like to put up a base station and I've been looking for the easiest way to do this,of course.

I found some fiberglass push poles that I can afford, but I was wondering if I should use metal instead.

Would a metal push pole be better than fiberglass for any reason.

Will my station perform better with a metal push pole or will the fiberglass one be just fine?

Your station won't perform any different from one to the other. Take a look at the weight of the two different push ups and also the strength. Depending on your antenna and guying plans, that may help shape your decision.

For an alternative that worked nicely for me, look at galvanized hurricane fence top-rail.

I used 20' of it to stick a vertical up on my roof. It's about $10 per 10' section here at Home Depot.

I took the slip joint and drilled it while coupled and stuck #10 sheet metal screws through the holes.

My mounting bracketed the base of the bottom section and the middle at the joint and the antenna is rock solid. If you went free standing with it, I would recommend guying at at least each 20' mark. You can tie three guys through stainless hose clamps on the pole.

If I had to guess, guyed twice, these things should easily hold 40'. The top ten foot section on mine barely moves at all in 40mph winds.

What state are you in?

I have never seen a fiberglass push pole?

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Everyone drives like crap but me.

ditto...

I never saw a fiberglass push up pole

If anything fiberglass should be better in that
will cause less interference with your SWR's

Beyond that i see little or no difference

If you want
try going to your local radioshack...
ask the manager if he has any old pushup poles that are not currant models
is likely he will be more then glad to give it to you for free
(that is how i got more then a few push up poles as well as 5 and 10 ft masts

I've found a fiberglass one that will go 43'. It starts out at 2" ends as 3/4" and it only weighs 16 pounds.

I also thought of putting up the galvanized top rail as a pole I've go some that are 21' in length, but didn't think it would be that sturdy. I didn't want to do any guying ,since my property is small.

JK Rubicon I live in New Mexico.

I did the same thing for a Maco V58 antenna. Cheap and effective.

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