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A long-winded background to the story... Thirty plus years ago I put up a 21' scaffold pole with an Antron 99 on top, all fixed to the side of my garage. The pole was also fitted with a pulley for flying flags. Every couple of years it got taken down, U bolts checked and put back up. Anyway, a few years ago the U bolts were found to be in a poor condition so the pole was put back up for flag purposes minus the Antron while new bolts were sourced. This of course didn't happen and while I'd like to get the Antron back up the pole, so many of the neighbours have changed, and I guess are now used to the flagpole and it's strange flags, I don't know what their reaction would be to it suddenly growing by eighteen feet.
So I'm thinking of welding a piece of flat plate to the top of the pole, drilling it for a 3/8 stud mount and putting something less obtrusive on top by way of something like a small-ish center loaded mobile antenna - or maybe a slightly bigger hole and surplus K40 - mounted to the top of the pole, using the pole as a ground plane in a sort of 'Wot-Pole' style. So what are the possibilities of the pole having enough presence to work as a groundplane opposite a decent mobile antenna? Or do I say stuff the neighbours and put the Antron back up?
Opinions welcome.
One person in ten understands binary, the other one doesn't.
I do still have it and it's still in use although mounted at ground level, hidden by trees and delaminating badly. I was toying with the idea of a Stryker or Hustler perhaps.
One person in ten understands binary, the other one doesn't.
Using scaffold pole as antenna is not that simple.
First, it should be insulated from the ground.
Second, need radials. At least 16, buried.
Third: it needs matching circuit.
WE ARE MOTÖRHEAD, AND WE PLAY ROCK N' ROLL
You can't have too many antennas...
Thanks, I think I've got where you're going. Just so I'm understanding the terminology, I would describe the top/whip/radiating element as the antenna, and the pole as the groundplane, am I correct in thinking you are describing the whole assembly as the antenna or 'antenna system'?
One person in ten understands binary, the other one doesn't.
Yea, whole assembly.
You can put mobile antenna on top, insulated from pole. Than add 3-4 radials made from aluminium pipe or similar, like in regular 5/8 antenna.
But... it makes no sense.
WE ARE MOTÖRHEAD, AND WE PLAY ROCK N' ROLL
You can't have too many antennas...
Ok I see what you mean. Hmm... it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Thanks for the guidance, I'll live with the ground mounted Antron for now - that's until I come up with another stupid idea!
Cheers.
One person in ten understands binary, the other one doesn't.
ch25 wrote: ↑24 Sep 2021, 22:51
Using scaffold pole as antenna is not that simple.
First, it should be insulated from the ground.
Second, need radials. At least 16, buried.
Third: it needs matching circuit.
i didn't read where he said use the pole as the antenna though..
Last edited by bigpimp347 on 25 Sep 2021, 19:10, edited 1 time in total.
I want to Die Asleep like my Grandad did,
Unlike his Passengers, Screaming and Shouting.!
and A-99 doesn't need a ground plane, they never have, they're aren't a ground plane antenna for one.
put a bracket and a mobile antenna on top, easy to do, the pole would be well over the match for the mobile, all mobile antennas are 1/4 wave, so a 21 foot pole would be 5/8th wave give or take,
so plenty to work as a counterpoise.
just clean the A-99 up, lacquer and put it up..
I want to Die Asleep like my Grandad did,
Unlike his Passengers, Screaming and Shouting.!
I'd prop the Antron up alongside the pole and then slowly move it up the pole a few inches every day to get them used to it and maybe put a flag (Jolly Roger) on to to trick them into thinking it't just part of the flagpole
As for the scaffold pole... I have mine mounted on out building, with a pivot 3m off the ground. So 3m ground clearance + 6m pole + 6m antenna.
Height from ground to tip of antenna is about 15m and very noticeable when vertical, but I have it horizontal when not in use. Not had any issues with neighbours.
