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Technical Topics => Equipment => Topic started by: ladderline on January 04, 2015, 2037 UTC

Title: Collapsible fiberglass pole
Post by: ladderline on January 04, 2015, 2037 UTC
Can somebody tell me please where I can buy collapsible fiberglass pole?
Title: Re: Collapsible fiberglass pole
Post by: Kilokat7 on January 04, 2015, 2318 UTC
I'm using the ones sold by Kitty Hawk Kites for my double kaz.  I've had them up since September, no issues so far.
Title: Re: Collapsible fiberglass pole
Post by: Pigmeat on January 06, 2015, 0636 UTC
MFJ sells a 10 meter tall fiberglass mast. It comes in at just under 100 bucks the last I checked.

Swimming pool supply houses sell telescoping pool poles for cleaning leaves, etc.. out of the pool. They're fairly cheap but I don't know how sturdy they are. They go to about 30 feet.

Telescoping crappie poles are available at any good sporting goods store. They max out around 22 feet and are cheap. A guy at the local Cabela's say's they sell about 75 percent of them to hams.

If you've got local stands of cane and bamboo, all you need is a brush knife. Many people hate the stuff on their property. They will gladly let you whack down a few choice canes. (And set fire to the whole patch when you're done.) Careful cutting the stuff. It can build up a ton of torque from getting twisted together in the wind. People can get killed cutting it when the built up tension is released and it springs back. Nothing like being impaled by a 12 foot hunk of splintered cane to ruin your day.
Title: Re: Collapsible fiberglass pole
Post by: Fansome on January 06, 2015, 0816 UTC
Years ago L Cee posted something, I think on the FRN, about plastic masts developed by the military that could be rolled up, and then unrolled in the field to be used as antenna masts. They seemed to operate on the same principal as a tape measure: they could rolled up into a compact wheel, like a tape measure, and when extended, their cross-sectional U shape gave them the structural support to allow them to be cantilevered, again, like the blade of a tape measure.

I don't recall the details, but it seemed like a neat idea. Perhaps if L Cee is still around he could comment, or maybe someone else knows of such things and could reply here.
Title: Re: Collapsible fiberglass pole
Post by: L Cee on January 11, 2015, 0523 UTC
Damn Al ! I think I'm still here, but most times I'm not really sure.
millitaryfieldgear.com sells both the metal and fiberglass 4 foot poles in sets of 12 including the storage bag.  I have a very foggy memory of something like the antenna you mentioned. I'll dig around in my mountains of files, papers, notes, books and general piles of junk to see if I have something on that antenna.
Title: Re: Collapsible fiberglass pole
Post by: sweham on January 11, 2015, 1543 UTC
Try spiderbeam.com or wonderpole.com
Title: Re: Collapsible fiberglass pole
Post by: Fansome on January 12, 2015, 0651 UTC
I don't know if this is the manufacturer that I was thinking of, but this technology is definitely the same. As I recall they had a line of products for civilian use.

http://www.shakespeare-military.com/pdf/Rolatube_Brochure.pdf
Title: Re: Collapsible fiberglass pole
Post by: Fansome on January 12, 2015, 0911 UTC
Well, this is embarrassing; I didn't really think you were still around. I just wanted to use your name so that I sounded like I knew what I was talking about...

Damn Al ! I think I'm still here, but most times I'm not really sure.
millitaryfieldgear.com sells both the metal and fiberglass 4 foot poles in sets of 12 including the storage bag.  I have a very foggy memory of something like the antenna you mentioned. I'll dig around in my mountains of files, papers, notes, books and general piles of junk to see if I have something on that antenna.
Title: Re: Collapsible fiberglass pole
Post by: Jolly Roger on January 12, 2015, 1650 UTC
You can get extension poles for painting that are sturdy fiberglass. I'm not sure what the longest are but I've used ones that go about 25 feet. Any large industrial painting supply place should have what you need.
Title: Re: Collapsible fiberglass pole
Post by: Antennae on January 31, 2015, 1704 UTC
There is the Jackite pole that is found on amazon.com

Re: tape mast, wow, my old coworker talked about using a "tape type" antenna. This must be it. Very cool. 
Title: Re: Collapsible fiberglass pole
Post by: ByteBORG on January 31, 2015, 1944 UTC
This is a bookmark of mine I've been meaning to use:

http://www.tmastco.com/main/page_products_product_overview.html

However, I don't even know if he still does business.

02/01/15
<edit>
Steve,
Thanks for the response to the web site and the inquiry.  Yes, still in business, but have not updated the web site in a while.  Most everything is in stock as noted on the web site pages.
Regards,
Henry Pollock
www.TMastCo.com
<edit>
Title: Re: Collapsible fiberglass pole
Post by: Rafman on February 06, 2015, 0256 UTC
Depending upon weight to support & height required, I trolled in alibaba.com for fiberglass fishing poles...
I had found 9M poles [~30'] for under $40 with Free Shipping...

I abandoned the KAZ/DKAZ when 41M beverage worked better than expected...