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Re: [VHFcontesting] Upgrade for your Rover?

To: kb7dqh@donobi.net
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] Upgrade for your Rover?
From: Dan Evans <dan.evans@insightbb.com>
Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:59:34 -0400
List-post: <vhfcontesting@contesting.com">mailto:vhfcontesting@contesting.com>
Yes, I've been playing with the idea of home brewing something along 
this line for years.

I believe the easiest plan I have come up with so far is to get a lot of 
aluminum angle, some pulleys, and cable, and just build a miniature 
crank up tower...

I had dropped the idea of using tubular materials before.   I believe it 
would be more difficult to machine the bushings and such.  However, I 
hadn't considered the gear rack and crank.  I was still thinking about 
cables and pulleys.

My first attempt at this was home brewing a push up mast.  I used about 
5 sections of telescoping sizes of EMT conduit.  It worked pretty well, 
but after about 20' it got pretty wobbly.  Plus it was HEAVY! 

73
Dan
-- 
Amateur Radio Emergency Service, Clark County Indiana. EM78el
K9ZF /R no budget Rover ***QRP-l #1269 Check out the Rover Resource Page at:
<http://www.qsl.net/n9rla> List Administrator for: InHam+grid-loc+ham-books
Ask me how to join the Indiana Ham Mailing list! 



kb7dqh@donobi.net wrote:
> Looks familiar... Crank fits into the gearbox at the top of the section
> below the one you "wind up" and move the crank to the next lower, step and
> repeat...  Wonder what a machine shop would charge for cutting the rack
> and matching gear???  Could be "hambrewed" easily with square aluminum
> tube,
> UHMW plastic spacers, and use wire rope and pulleys to "squirt it out"...
> Someone did this in California, had it set up at MUD 2005 but broke a pulley
> that was not up to the task. Otherwise made a great platform for the
> microwave gear...
> Eric
> KB7DQH
>
>   
>> I have one of these on the back of the Jitney .. it's an awesome rover
>> mast, makes for very quick setup/takedown and it's made of a very
>> high-strength but light aluminum alloy. I got mine for $50 direct from
>> the gov at Dugway Proving Grounds surplus outlet in UT back in the
>> 80's. My understanding is they were originally used for a portable
>> lighting system, the original configuration has 4 legs that swing down
>> and are braced with diagonal poles up to the top. Used it for years
>> for FD, etc .. but once I started playing V/U/uW it was obvious it
>> would make a great rover mast.
>>
>> see http://www.flickr.com/photos/62588861@N00/3586812727/
>>
>> de w1rt/john
>>
>> On Thu, Jun 25, 2009 at 6:02 AM, Dan Evans<dan.evans@insightbb.com> wrote:
>>     
>>> Here is a nice mast:
>>>
>>>
>>>      Tubular Crank Up Tower Nice
>>>
>>>
>>> http://www.eham.net/classifieds/detail/292468
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Wish I could afford it!
>>>
>>> 73
>>> Dan
>>> --
>>> Amateur Radio Emergency Service, Clark County Indiana. EM78el
>>> K9ZF /R no budget Rover ***QRP-l #1269 Check out the Rover Resource Page
>>> at:
>>> <http://www.qsl.net/n9rla> List Administrator for:
>>> InHam+grid-loc+ham-books
>>> Ask me how to join the Indiana Ham Mailing list!
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>>       
>
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