Antenna Party (with pictures)

[W6SDM]

Antenna parties are one of the oldest traditions in amateur radio. Since I have the acreage and no HOA restrictions, I wanted to put up a couple of "real" antennas. In addition to the 45-foot GAP Voyager vertical, I am putting up a 420 foot long wire 48 feet high. It is supported on three 3-inch 48-foot steel poles. The trick is getting them up (so to speak). Here are some pics of last Saturday's adventure.

We start with the Great Buttski. All visitors to the Double D ranch must be cleared though him.

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Down to business. This is a 3-inch, 48-foot steel pole. It weighs around 200 pounds. The object is to get it to stand on end and then drop in into a hole just 1/32" larger than the pole. A counterbalance pole 20 feet high is used to draw the pole into a vertical position. A stop on the back of the PVC, which has been set in two feet of concrete, helps guide the pole home. Very difficult work but a simple theory: Get it up and then sink it in the hole.

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A five-foot sawhorse and an eight-foot ladder provide a good starting point to bring the pole fully erect. This shot looks like a out-take from the movie, "Indiana Jones meets Osama Bin Laden". Bob, aka K9ZHJ, plays the Arab.

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[W6SDM]

Ford, KG7IW, reads a passage from the Radio Amateur's Handbook followed by a moment of silence. This helps guarantee a successful outcome.

http://desert-dweller.smugmug.com/Other/Antenna/antenna-2/925915942_QrFY7-O.jpg

About halfway through the erecting of the pipe, guy wires on the counterbalance got caught in a tree sending everything crashing to the ground from a hight of about 30 feet, pulling Ford halfway across the desert in the process. Dieter, W7DHG, the project engineer, and Chris, N0CAL, discuss whether the failure was due to engineering fault or component failure.

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Daisy Mae keeps a watchful eye on the Jeep while another attempt is contemplated.

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[W6SDM]

We decided to skip the south pole until another time because the backstop on the PVC was demolished in the fall. This is the west pole fully erect.

http://desert-dweller.smugmug.com/Other/Antenna/antenna-7/925916458_MTuct-O.jpg

This is the first pole, which went up easiest of all. The gap vertical and other antennas are visible.

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Dieter heads out ready to watch World Cup Soccer and grab a cold beer.

http://desert-dweller.smugmug.com/Other/Antenna/antenna-8/925915997_BGcMo-O.jpg

[K7VZ]

Moved to Ham Radio Topics forum.

Looks awesome Steve. Where does one get 48ft. steel poles? How thick of a wall do they have? Are they painted or coated to prevent corrosion? Also, I'm curious what type of footing was used? It doesn't look like there is much at the ground level.

[KC0NNT]

Ford, KG7IW, reads a passage from the Radio Amateur's Handbook followed by a moment of silence. This helps guarantee a successful outcome.

Funny stuff Steve! Bummer about the problems but I am confident in your abilities.

[W6SDM]

They are 2 24' steel poles, one about 1/8 inch OD smaller than the other. One is slipped a foot inside the other and then they are welded. The walls are about 1/4 inch thick - which accounts for the weight. The footing is three inch ID schedule 80 PVC sunk in two feet of concrete. While this will support the poles for the most part, the real stability comes from the guy wires.

Each 24-foot section runs about $65-75 depending on the thickness and diameter. I got mine from a steel pipe company in Stanfield, not far from where I live. The steel is galvanized so there isn't a lot of concern about rust, but I did spray over the welds. All the drilling is done on the ground and the hardware installed prior to erecting the poles.

Hopefully, we will be able to finish the last pole this Saturday and get the wire strung. I am anxious to see how this works on the air.