Batboard

Anyone have experience with Will-Burt pneumatic antenna masts? http://www.willburt.com/

I have been asked to add one to a truck for a local repeater. They seem straighforward enough, but maybe there is someone with ENG experience that could provide first-hand info.

Martin

Well, I am friends with a broadcast engineer at a TV station. I talked to him before in regards to those, and he told me that pneumatic masts are very expensive, and require a lot of routine maintance to work. He deals with those at his station.

He basically suggested crank-up designs, unless there was some particular reason for using a pneumatic mast.

Jonathan KC8RYW wrote:Well, I am friends with a broadcast engineer at a TV station. I talked to him before in regards to those, and he told me that pneumatic masts are very expensive, and require a lot of routine maintance to work.

Maintance where? The mast itself, Air compressor, cable carier?

Martin

spareparts wrote:

Jonathan KC8RYW wrote:Well, I am friends with a broadcast engineer at a TV station. I talked to him before in regards to those, and he told me that pneumatic masts are very expensive, and require a lot of routine maintance to work.

Maintance where? The mast itself, Air compressor, cable carier?

Martin

I wish I knew. Anyone else know? Otherwise, I'll ask him next time I see him.

Pleas take what I say with a grain of salt.

40-50 foot air masts are available for less than 5K. Youll do less maintenance on them than you do on a mechanical crank up any day.

Our incident command rig has one and it works flawlessly with no problems or constant maintenance.

You'll have more problems, routine maintenance and repairs on a crank-up or electric motor operated unit than any air mast.

Will Burt masts are the way to go for camera, antenna or lighting rigs. I just spec'd a 25' air mast with 1" ID cable guide and a 100# top capacity and it came in about $4K. It takes up a 1' x 1' square area in the body and needs about 5' vertical clearance.

If you have on-board air already, that will save you $$$

Will-Burt, Will-Burt, Will-Burt.

We run three TV trucks all day in all kinds of weather. Our previous news director really liked live shots, so the masts were averaging 15-20 cycles a week. Routine maintenance consists entirely of remembering to check the oil level in the mister from time to time.

They only weigh about 300 pounds - our Suburban can carry the 42-footer easily, and we have a 52-footer in an E-350. We ship them out for a rebuild every few years, but we get a loaner so the truck stays in service - eight bolts and an engine hoist and they slide right out.

One of our trucks came with a winch-up to save money, but it was a maintenance nightmare. The cables fray and bind, the bearings need replacement a lot, when the cable breaks it comes down *hard*. Ours got stuck about 30 feet up when the cable jammed. We had to get a bucket truck to lift it so we could cut the cable and ease it down. We had the truck fitted with air the following week.

I have a quote request out for a Willburt model 6-27 (40# load @ 26'10" max extension). The truck already has compressed air on board, so that should shave a few dollars off.

Will post the numbers if there's any interest.

I have a quote request out for a Willburt model 6-27

How's it coming? Any further info?