Monday, April 22, 2013

Inspiration

Watching this YouTube video from Stan WB2LQF gave me a great idea.



I like the way Stan supported his fiberglass mast.  I have a 31 foot Jackite pole that I bought from Bob AF2Q about 2 years ago.  I'm not going to have a filler pipe welded to my Jeep, but I am going to revive and old system that I used to use when I had my Buddipole.

The system I used was simply a pipe flange screwed down onto a 4 foot plank of oak.  This hard wood was tough enough to allow me to drive onto it without cracking or crushing it.  Then I screwed a 3 foot section of pipe into the flange and dropped my Buddipole mast into it.  The same system will work again, but I am going to have to procure a new flange and piece of pipe.  The Buddipole mast that I had been using was a painter's pole that had a considerably smaller diameter than that of the Jackite pole, so what I currently have is too narrow.

This setup will allow me to use the PAR END-FEDZ in instances where I don't have an available tree for a support.  The Jackite isn't tall enough to allow for a true vertical installation; but it will allow me to make a sloper with a reasonably small enough footprint for portable work. If I can get the pipe and flange this week, I may even use it for QRPTTF this coming weekend.  If I get 'er done, I'll make sure to take plenty of pictures and post them here so you can duplicate the concept if you think it might something that could work for you.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

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