Batboard

I need to mount an antenna at the top of a wood utility pole. It is a new pole, no existing holes. I ordered some DB products 365W mounts, that require a 5/8 hole right through the pole. My problem is, how to drill the holes level and exactly on centerline? Any error will show up as a leaning antenna. Unfortunately the pole is already planted.

How are you getting to the top of the pole? Gaff's? Bucket truck?

Irwin makes some nice auger bits for power drills that work damn good when drilling poles and cross arms.

Drilling the holes level and dead center isn't really that hard, just eyeball it once you're aligned with the pole.

I have a young electrician to do the dirty work for me, he has the bucket truck. As I said, the challenge appears to be getting the holes inline vertically, dead center and level. Too many degrees of freedom it seems.
We also have to mount another antenna about 20 feet below the first, using more 365Ws and a DB5001 standoff.

Naw it's not so hard. Just take some care in the aim and then just go for it. See if you can get a 5ft stub for him to practice on a few times. Sink it in the ground a foot and let him have at it. Heck, have him put the mounts on down on the ground a few times too.

The easiest way to drill two holes plumb is with a jig.

Get a length of 2x4 a couple of inches longer than the span of the holes you want to bore. Using a drill press, bore two holes in the 2x4 exactly on its centerline and spaced per your requirements; the holes should be just a bit larger than the bit you're going to use on the pole. Now climb the pole and, using a level, clamp the 2x4 plumb. Drill the pole bores through the holes in the 2x4. Unclamp the jig and try not to drop it on the guy holding the ladder.

The outside plant guys made had a jig made up of a section 4 x4 angle iron about a foot long. A local fabricator welded a 1" pipe nipple onto the outside of the angle (at the junction of the two flanges).

If your mounts all have the same spacing betwen the holes, I would imagine that you could put 2 pipes on it just as easy.

You use a web strap to fasten it to the pole, (pole fits in the valley between the flanges) and drill through the pipe.

BTW, it had a padeye welded on for a safety cable after it was dropped from the bucket the first time.

Thanks for the good ideas. The wood version I can make very fast. The steel version will take a little more effort, but would last for ever.
Either way will work.

I'm a pole climber and I have mounted quite a few antennas on utility poles.

It's always seemed that the easiest way to get the antenna and mast straight was to mount the antenna, coax, and other hardware first, with the pole on the ground and then set the pole. Leave the coax in a coil at the top of the pole until the pole is set and then set the pole so as not to damage the coax while setting the pole.

Ofcourse, if the pole is already standing, this would not be practical. The jigs suggested above by others should work just fine.

Drilling through poles away from AC power is best done with a brace and bit, rather than a cordless drill because most cordless drills don't have enough torque to get through poles effectively.

Whatever hardware goes on the pole should be galvanized steel, aluminum or stainless steel. If you use mild steel, you'll have to paint and periodically repaint it. The same is true if you use un-treated wood.

A bit of caution on the new style, arsenic-free (AC2) treated lumber. I'm told that it is corrosive to steel and you must use specially made, triple-galvanized, hardware and fasteners.

If you're not experienced at climbing poles with gaffs, don't do it. You're better off renting a bucket truck, even though it will probably cost more than buying a set of gaffs.

If you'd really like to do climb with gaffs, make sure you get good equipment and someone to teach you. My gaffs are made by Klein, my belt by Buckingham and boots by Redwing.

Good Luck!

grrrrrrrr

You said that evil gaff word ! I did gaffing in training when I worked for Charter cable. I gaffed for training then never did it again. Gaffing is totally unsafe in my book. All hail the fiberglass ladder I wasnt lucky enough to get a bucket truck

Gaffing sucks. LIke batwingforever said, if you do gaff, get the training. It's a must, otherwise get a bucket or ladder. The ladder should have the "V" rung at the top with a good rubber grip on it.

Matt N3IVK