[time-nuts] Freestanding mast

Charles P. Steinmetz charles_steinmetz at lavabit.com
Fri Sep 3 00:46:00 UTC 2010


I'm curious what the best freestanding mast is for a timing antenna 
(think Lucent timing antenna or marine "mushroom" GPS antenna -- 
light and pretty small).  The mast would have its highest support at 
rooftop or chimney-top level, and could extend from there as far 
downward as the ground with additional supports as required.  Should 
be able to survive at least Category 2 winds and heavy snow and ice.

What reasonably available mast material no more than, say, 3" in 
maximum cross-section would allow the most vertical extension above 
the highest support, and how much extension would that be?  I'm 
thinking 10 feet of 2" or so thin-wall steel tube may be OK, but 
beyond that I don't know.  Tubing is probably not the optimum shape, 
but I assume the availability of other engineering shapes (say, "+" 
cross-section) is likely to be limited.

Ideas?

Thanks,

Charles






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