Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: Spiderbeam 12m Heavy Duty Telescopic Fibreglass Pole

Category: Towers, masts, accessories, climbing & safety gear

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : Spiderbeam 12m Heavy Duty Telescopic Fibreglass Pole
Reviews: 22MSRP: 92
Description:
Heavy duty 12m (40 ft) telescopic fibreglass pole. Wall thickness up to 2mm. Telescopes to 1.18m for easy transport. Weight 3.3 kg (7 lbs).
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.spiderbeam.net/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00224.9
W5HEH Rating: 2022-05-11
HD MAST ,WELL MADE STOUT . Time Owned: more than 12 months.
OWNER ,"SCOTT",
IS VERY APPROACHABLE TO SPEAK WITH ,KNOWLEDGEABLE as Well -Gr8 Service Oriented .
USE MINE TO TEST DIFFERENT WIRE ANTENNAS ,THIS 12m MAST IS HD AND EASY TO USE - yes Heavy - 7lbs will outlast us !
Am a QRO type so use 14- even 10gauge ,(yah maybe not necessary but works well) . The Stainless clamp set with rubber covers is a good idea for more than weekend use . Ordered mine with eyelet worth it .
They go Sold out for a reason so plan ahead ,call to when site does not show link to order .
Setting up one for an elderly Ham Buddy @ his Hud Apt.
73s

K2MK Rating: 2019-11-28
Rugged and Versatile, Alternate Uses Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This mast is very well engineered. It is quite rigid and very nicely finished in a gloss black. The 12 meter mast consists of 12 rods. The bottom rod is non-tapered, approximately 2.13” OD and 48 inches long. The remaining rods are slightly tapered, approximately 44” long and range in OD from 1.9” down to 0.3”. The final extended height is approximately 40 feet.

Because of the taper, the 11 inner rods are inserted from the bottom. As you pull a rod upwards (starting with the inner most rod) it will rise until its expanding diameter begins to pull up the next larger diameter rod. You can then physically pull them so that they are tightly joined. A word of caution. You cannot rely on this tight friction fit to permanently hold. You need to place a hose clamp on the bottom of the inner rod so that it cannot slip down into the larger rod. Spiderbeam sells a hose clamp kit which is well worth the price. You pre-assemble the hose clamps from a measurement chart supplied by Spiderbeam to include a rubber strip held in place with shrink tubing. The clamp kit is well engineered and is metric so you’ll need a 7mm socket to tighten the clamps.

When you collapse the mast you can tighten the hose clamps on the top side of each rod so that the rods don’t slip out of the bottom. Spiderbeam provides a rubber boot that slips over the bottom to keep the rods from escaping. It too is very heavy duty and they also provide a spare that they put on the top of the mast during shipment.

My alternate application involves supporting the passive end of an endfed 40-10 meter dipole in a tree. I attached the lower section of the mast to the trunk of the tree with two 2” pipe clamps and a small bracket at the bottom since the tree trunk expanded near the ground and made it impossible to rest the mast on the ground. I mounted a pulley at the top of the mast using a hose clamp. I pushed up the mast at an angle leaning away from the direction I intended to pull the antenna. I tied a cord from a branch around the mast at approximately 15 feet high to help keep the mast from bending excessively. This was the highest I could reach with my ladder. I found that the top two rods bent too much in this unsupported state so I settled on a full extended height of slightly over 30 feet.

In a more conventional installation you would guy the mast at several levels enabling you to use the full 40 foot height. I sadly regret that I never considered these masts at my previous QTH. I tried numerous methods to support a 160 meter dipole through a wooded area behind my home. A few of these masts attached to some tree trunks would have easily permitted me to get it higher than the nominal 10 foot height that I finally settled on. With age comes wisdom.

I ordered the mast through Spiderbeam USA (Vibroplex) and it arrived well packaged and quickly. Spiderbeam USA has their own website which seems identical to the main Spiderbeam website. I have since ordered a second mast to support a rigid 6 meter dipole that I intend to deploy during VHF contests.
WE6Z Rating: 2019-01-07
Tough! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Wow, this is one beefy pole. I put this at the top of my 75 foot tower to load it as a 160 meter vertical. We had some 50mph gusts come through, and it bent almost to 90 degrees. However it held up fine and is straight now that the wind has passed. I had it guyed at the 21' level, and I am using the provided clamps between the sections.
VK3EGN Rating: 2016-02-06
Gret poles Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have 2 of these 12m poles.
As far as I know there is no comparable product.
Spiderbeam poles are the best.
NH7L Rating: 2015-11-10
Possibly the best pole out there Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have owned and used other collapsible fiberglass poles, and after owning one of these for a couple weeks, I think it's the best one out there in the 30- to 40-foot range. Here's why I say that. 1. Greater wall thickness than others I have tried, 1.4 to 2 mm. 2. Stronger and stiffer top section than others, 8 mm outside diameter. That's 1/3 of an inch, much thicker than the competition, which has skinny and bendy tips like the tip on a fly rod. It's heavier than some, about seven pounds. Heavy for a pole, but not heavy for a 40-foot, easily erected and very portable tower.
AE2K Rating: 2013-04-11
Perfect for the field Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I recently purchased the 12M version of the Spiderbeam to use in the field for end fed wire antennas, etc.

It is very easy to deploy and take down by yourself. I would recommend getting a few different size rubber bungee cords and anchoring the bottom section to a tree or another strong support while erecting the mast up to 40 feet high.

I did not get directions with mine and sent an e-mail and got an immediate reply on how to properly deploy the antenna. You pull out each section and twist to lock it in place. Tech support said to twist the upper sections in one direction and then twist the lower sections in the opposite direction for optimal support.

A this time, I am only using it on a temporary basis in the field.

I am pleased with the construction of the product and it is easy to transport in my car or carry in person.
G1EUZ Rating: 2013-03-24
Excellent support for a 20m Delta Loop on the ZD8RAF dxpedition Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Excellent product, at 1.2 meters long (collapsed) there were no issues with taking it on a flight as hold baggage. It provided a support for a 20m Delta Loop during the ZD8RAF activation. Self amalgamating tape makes a great alternative to the clamps for temporary use. Great pole for travel use and I would highly recommend.
F5VDM Rating: 2012-01-27
Great product Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I already have the 18m pole, but decided on the 12m for my 40m vertical. I am very impressed, both in quality and price.

This is FAR better than the 9m pole it replaces. I'd recommend spiderbeam for these poles if you have an antenna project requiring such a mast.
IZ4UFQ Rating: 2011-10-20
Quite a good product Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have installed this pole as a permanent installation, with the Spiderbeam clamps set. It is used for a vertical wire antenna, so there is only one wire running into the pole up to the top. I have fixed it to the wall with two big clamps on the first section of the pole, protecting the pole with some rubber where the clamps hold it.

I have not guyed it, and it withstood winds up to 40 Km/h (maybe something more). It bent up to 90 degrees but did not break. Customer care suggests to guy it for winds above 50 Km/h. They tested it at 120km/h with guying at 7 meters.

I took it down to add a security rope inside the pole, to keep it from falling down the roof if it breaks, and in doing it I have seen that the rubber in the Spiderbeam clamps has become brittle under the effect of the sunlight in the summer. Other than that, everything was fine.

I have had a long email conversation with Spiderbeam customer support about my concerns regarding strong winds, guying, brittle clamp rubber and the support guy was kind, very fast in answering, and really helpful. Great customer care!

I give it a 4 and not a 5 because I would have liked to have an even stronger pole, capable of withstanding even stronger winds without guying.
VK4TUX Rating: 2011-03-05
Like to see a HD version Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Have had two of these break on me in windy conditions at the 6th- 7th sections (from bottom).
I reinforced those areas when repaired to hopefully get a more reliable result with the third setup.

I would be happy to pay more for a heavier duty thicker fiberglass wall thickness.

vk4tux