I can remember seeing that mast described in pre-WW2 Handbooks. It has been
around since, I would guess, the 20's.
The problem these days, of course, is finding 20 ft long 2x4 stock that is
mostly knot-free and straight. But even there, it is possible to fabricate
longer sections by placing the individual boards end to end and then
nailing 2x4 stock on the edges taking care to stagger the splices. This
sort of T mast has also been described inthe Handbook for many years. It
too is readily hinged at the base. For more ambitious masts, "2x6" stock
could readily be substituted.
In today's lumber market, it would probably be cheaper and more expedient
to do it that way than to look for decent 20 ft 2x4 stock. Which, by the
way is now 1-5/8" x about 2-5/8". Cheapest form factor and probably the
nearest to being unwarped would be precut "8ft" wall studding.
72/73, George W5YR - the Yellow Rose of Texas QRP-L 1373 NETXQRP 6
Fairview, TX 30 mi NE of Dallas in Collin county EM13qe
Amateur Radio W5YR, in the 55th year and it just keeps getting better!
Icom IC-756PRO #02121 Kachina #91900556 IC-765 #02437
Stuart Rohre wrote:
>
> For many years, as early as the ARRL 1957 Handbook, they have described a
> mast made of two 2x4's at ground level, with a spliced 2x4 in between them,
> (wide flat side to wide flat side) as the top piece. With 20 foot timber,
> you could go up 30 feet or 35. This was also in the ARRL Antenna books of
> those years. This type of mast is also more easily implemented if you hinge
> the base 2X4's to a timber in the ground.
> 73,
> Stuart K5KVH
>
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--
72/73, George W5YR - the Yellow Rose of Texas QRP-L 1373 NETXQRP 6
Fairview, TX 30 mi NE of Dallas in Collin county EM13qe
Amateur Radio W5YR, in the 55th year and it just keeps getting better!
Icom IC-756PRO #02121 Kachina #91900556 IC-765 #02437
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