Tom,

Good deal.  I'm also glad you have help with this project.   One thing 
about the steel masts is that they are very heavy.  And due to some 
peculiarities of gravity, earth rotation, and global warming, they get 
even heavier the higher you go.  Think things through and wear gloves. 
I put a 40 footer up once myself with a 2 element fiberglass quad for FM 
broadcast reception.  By the time I got to the final section,  I could 
swear that there was a fat lady sitting on my antenna.    Good luck and 
see you on 160 later this year.

73, Steve KW3A

On 11/19/2010 11:11 AM, tom behler wrote:
>      Steve:
>
> You know, I actually thought about those push-up fiber-glass masts, but
> decided against them due to my perception, maybe false, that they might not
> stand up well to our rugged winter weather here in Michigan, which often
> involves very high winds.
>
> The prices seem pretty much in line with what I'm ultimately going to have
> to pay for the Channelmaster variety, but it really is something worth
> considering.
>
> I have decided against the aluminum section idea, where the sections would
> have to be drilled or otherwise assembled for the reason that a telescopic
> mast just seems to be so much more manageable from the ground, when putting
> the whole thing together.
>
> All of this is totally new to me, and I hope I'm making a reasonable
> ecision.
>
> Such are the woes of living on a property that lacks good supports for wire
> antennas.
>
> I now wish I hadn't given my tower and tri-band beam away, but it went to an
> EOC to the County north of me, so it will ultimately be put to good use, I
> guess.
>
> I wouldn't have done it, though, if I had known the Colorado situation was
> going to end as it did.
>
> But, as they say, that's water over the dam.  (grin)
>
> 73 from Tom Behler:  KB8TYJ
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Steve Forst"<[log in to unmask]>
> To:<[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, November 19, 2010 10:48 AM
> Subject: masts
>
>
> Tom,
>
> I think you already have something lined up, but for what it's worth:
>
> Max-gain sells fiberglass products and has push up fiberglass masts that
> while not cheap, are  higher quality than others being sold to hams:
>
>
> http://www.mgs4u.com/fiberglass-push-up-mast.htm
> A different way to go is with surplus military 4 foot aluminum sections.
>     These don't telescope, but would have to be assembled and walked up
> from horizontal to vertical:
>
> http://www.tmastco.com/
>
> And one final source for junk as you engineer this project:
>
> http://www.penningerradio.com/
>
> 73, Steve KW3A
>