Emergency Preparedness: 30 ft fiberglass mast and base for $40
Emergency Preparedness: 30 ft fiberglass mast and base for $40
Need an emergency 30ft fiberglass mast, base, and stakes for $40? Read on.
The Antenna Mast Guy
If you travel to hamfests in the Midwest maybe you have seen the “mast guy” or the “pole guy”. This guy has been traveling around to hamfests (according to him) for the past five years selling this stuff.
He always has good sales. He has the right product at the right price in the right market with customers lined up to buy.
I am not sure what the original use of these were, or where he got these from – but he always seems to have a trailer load full of them. He will mix and match whatever you want.
What you can get for $20
Pictured above is the basic kit. For $20 you get the mounting base, the 4 mast sections at 4ft each, 4 ground stakes, and the flange for guy wires. The mast sections are made out of fiberglass and slide into each other.
The mounting base has a center section that holds the four arms. For storage, align the four arms. For usage, spread the arms out and lock them in place by tightening the center section nut.
The flange mounts to the top and has 4 holes to attach guy wires.
Four stakes come with the kit.
The 30 ft version – $40
The kit pictured was $20 and the mast height is just under 15 ft.
The 30 ft kit with more mast elements, 8 ground stakes, and a flange for 8 guy wires was $40.
If you wanted all this in a carrying bag – that was $70
This guy also has an aluminum version of the fiberglass kit.
Look for this trailer
https://frrl.wordpress.com 
You’ve got to hand it to this guy for ingenuity. These are the poles and spreader used to hold up camouflage netting. Although for that use you’d need to flip the whole assembly 180 degrees (the spreader goes on top of the pole to support the netting). Not sure about the guy attachment plate, that’s not part of the camo system. Would guess he’s got a good supply from a military excess dealer.
RichW
April 16, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Um, those are camo netting poles used by the military.
Nick
March 25, 2010 at 11:04 pm
Whatever thier original use – the guy was able to unload nearly a trailer full of them in a single hamfest.
frrl
March 26, 2010 at 5:56 am
Some of these poles make great emergency prepardness masts for wire antennas. The picture shown are not the ones to use. The poles come in several different formats. The unreinforced fiberglass poles shown will crack and break in a moderate wind. DO NOT BUY THEM FOR A MAST! If the fiberglass pole has a reinforcement ring made out of fiberglass on the open end, they are the stronger and the ones the hams should be looking for. There are two other poles made of aluminum and are the strongest of the poles.
KE7NBN
December 6, 2010 at 8:03 am