Fiberglass pool pole as antenna mast

[VE2ITZ]

Hello all:


I got a question for anyone who has tried the following before:


I got a Fiberglass pool cleaning pole which is telescopic. The leght closed is about 7 feet and it is 2 pieces which extend to about 16 feet.

I am planning on using it closed so as to have the strenght of both one inside the other. It would be placed on my house roof eave with a Channelmaster CM9030 mount.

I will be using it to put up a Carolina windom or OCF dipole or some sort of wire dipole from it and the other side of the antenna will be holding on a near tree.


I was wondering if this would be a good idea from the point of view of durability. Is fiberglass UV resistant? Would it disintegrate in  the long run?

I want to use fiberglass since it is quite lightweight and is sturdy enough yet flexible for my antenna requirement.


Please let me know of your own experiences with fiberglass antenna poles.


Thanks.


Juan

VE2ITZ

[N3JBH]

Well Juan i never used it like your asking. But i have used Fiberglass as a mast for my VHF and UHF yagi's on a tower. And they held up for at least 12 year's . I took that system down and sold most of it. And i think the gentleman still uses the mast to this day on his Oscar system.  I should ad the yagi's was all M2 antenna's and the 2 meter was there longest at the time and above it was stacked 432 yagi's again if i remember they was around 32 feet each. So it had some load on it.

[N4JTE]

Should be okay at 7 feet as long as the heavy balun is mounted at the post or real close.
Bob

[VE2ITZ]

Merci, Gracias, Domo Arigato, Dank U, Thank you all for the quick replies!


73 de VE2Land!


Juan

[VE3WMB]

Juan :

I have been using a 10 metre long DK9SQ Fiberglass mast in a permanent installation at
home supporting a lightweight inverted-L. My mast has be up about 5 years and is still going
strong.  I taped the joints with electrical tape and every few years I put on a coat of spar
varnish to help protect it.

Michael VE3WMB

P.S. DK9SQ products are available in North American from Kanga USA :

http://www.kangaus.com/dk9sq.htm

Hello all:


I got a question for anyone who has tried the following before:


I got a Fiberglass pool cleaning pole which is telescopic. The leght closed is about 7 feet and it is 2 pieces which extend to about 16 feet.

I am planning on using it closed so as to have the strenght of both one inside the other. It would be placed on my house roof eave with a Channelmaster CM9030 mount.

I will be using it to put up a Carolina windom or OCF dipole or some sort of wire dipole from it and the other side of the antenna will be holding on a near tree.


I was wondering if this would be a good idea from the point of view of durability. Is fiberglass UV resistant? Would it disintegrate in  the long run?

I want to use fiberglass since it is quite lightweight and is sturdy enough yet flexible for my antenna requirement.


Please let me know of your own experiences with fiberglass antenna poles.


Thanks.


Juan

VE2ITZ

[VE2ITZ]

Thanks Michael.

I will give it a shot with my pool pole.

[N3AIS]

I would like to support a G5RV wire antenna from a bracket-mounted fiberglass mast attached to the house chimney. In order to get the center feed point of the antenna up to 35', I would need about 20 feet of mast. Is there a mast out there that I would not have to guy?

Paul VE3EEI

[W1JKA]

Re: Paul VE3EEI

                         A 3 section 22 ft. expandable painter's pole from Home Depot or Lowe's works great and convenient for portable ops also.

[K5LXP]

I was wondering if this would be a good idea from the point of view of durability. Is fiberglass UV resistant? Would it disintegrate in  the long run?

Unless it's painted, UV will take it's toll.  But that depends on a few factors like the thickness of the fiberglass and how much UV you get.  Here in New Mexico I've had fiberglass cross booms on my tower crack and splinter in under 2 years.  PVC pipe will turn dark brown in a single summer.  Black coax cable turns gray and crumbles in under a decade.

But does it matter?  It's a pool pole.  If it fails you'll know why, and you're not out much.  Put it up, and see how long you can go with it.


Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM