Antenna Hardware . . . .

[Highland Ranger]

The IMAX is sitting on top of a 15 foot pole bolted to the shed and I think I want to go up to 30 feet with it.

Even though the Radio shack poles are pretty heavy duty, I'm thinking 15+ feet of unsupported pole is going to whip around too much and I need to tie it down.

Need hardware to attach to pole, attach to ground and I guess turnbuckles.

Is there some easy place I can buy online or is this all hardware store stuff that is adapted for this use?

What do you guys use?

 

[RoadWarrior]

Radio Shack sells a guy wire ring that slides over there mast.
Any hardware store carries turnbuckles, groundwire, groundwire clamps. They should have everything you need.
Ace, Lowes, ect

 

[Cheech]

I used 12AWG galvanized wire for guys on my mast and its alot cheaper than any stranded wire and works just as good! Got it from sears, 100' for less than $10

 

[jonbah]

:idea: You might as well go 36' feet to put the antenna at one full wave length above ground. And you might want to use a 21' piece of 2" sch-40 galvanized pipe for the bottom. Or get two pieces that you can slide together and bolt. If the shed is a strong one you won't need ugly guy wires.

Lowe's sells the extendable masts but I think they need guy wires :?:


jonbah

 

[Cheech]

Yeah lowes sells them and thats what Im runing here. They do need guy wires but Im only runing 4 at 20' on a 30' mast. They also sell one thats 50' :shock:

 

[Highland Ranger]

Lowes up here didn't have anything. Didn't even know what guy wire was although they obviously had steel cable. Bit of a language barrier I guess.

Stopped at a rat shack on the way home - one of the decent franchisee stores.

Two things:

1. apparently they are getting away from the electronics hobbyist stuff - all the guy wire and antenna mast hardware and accessories over and above the stuff needed for dish network is being discontinued.

2. he did happen to have an old 36 foot push up mast - 4 telescoping 9 foot sections. Big heavy sucker, over 2" OD on the base section and guy wire rings on each section.

Question: if I drop this thing in a sleeve that sits in 3 feet of cconcrete, and maybe bolt it to the shed 9 feet up, can I get away with no guy wire?

If I do need to guy, do I need to do all 4 rings?

Sad about radio shack - don't understand how getting rid of the hobbyist stuff and becoming another me-to buy.com is going to get them healthy again.

I'm sure some idiot MBA's and bean counters will get rich from the change but I'll bet "shareholder equity" will ultimately tank further.

 

[jonbah]

Radio Shack is trying to stay alive by moving into the newer high tech gadgets shame.

Try the push up and see it might be ok if you mount it solid like that.



jonbah

 

[W5LZ]

Highland Ranger,
What you will end up with is a 30-32 foot pole. There is always some overlap between sections for strength, so don't skimp! Guy wires are also one of those things that more than pay for themselves. They aren't all that easy to deal with, where to tie them on each end, etc, but SHOULD be used. The next important thing is to use EHS guy wire (EHS - Extra High Strength), not any ordinary wire. Guys aren't just to hold the thing straight, or in ordinary weather, they are there to keep it from comming down because of the not so usual weather conditions too. You might be suprized at the amount of force even 'ordinary' wind puts on a vertical structure, and higher than normal winds can really be suprizing. It'll all seem like over-kill to start with but is well worth the bother in the long run. The 'sleeve' in a ground mount is a good idea too. Anchors for the guy wires is also a good idea. Not the pipe driven into the ground but a real live anchor with concrete. If a pipe can be pulled out of the ground with a tractor, the wind can do it too, and eventually will.
Sounds like a lot of trouble doesn't it? It's not near as much trouble as having to 're-do' it cuz things fell, though. Hell of a lot cheaper too!
- 'Doc