Batboard

I have a customer with a need for a quickly deployable, self supporting antenna mast, somewhere in the 20-30ft range. It will be supporting a single dipole (SRL310) antenna.

This client has a variety of buses & trailers which they originally wanted to somehow affix the antennas to the side or roof of the bus, but I cannot find anything 'generic' off the shelf which would work for all or most of the vehicle types. So now I'm looking at a separate mast which could get potential additional support via the bus or trailer with a ground plate the vehicle tire could roll onto, or perhaps a simple supporting clamp on the side wall.

Anyone have any suggestions for product they've used or seen out in the field with good results, either to affix the antenna to the vehicle or the deployable mast? Looking for something that won't break the bank, but will look at all options. Thanks.

Todd

Blue Sky is the company you probably want to look at. Lots of features depending on how deep your pocketbook is. I know a lot of the fed/state/local guys who know what radio is here love them.... They are very easy to setup and take down.

Unless they want to invest in professional broadcast production vans and trailers with pneumatic towers, the solution is going to be custom for each vehicle. There are some crank up towers out there that take two men to fold off the roof, attach the antenna and line, then turn the ratcheting winch with steel cable slung though pulleys. I've made pivot pipe masts that attach to the side of a bus. We had to fab the top and bottom mounts so the pipe turned in a single plane, and didn't rip out of the sheet metal. The customer still had to take the antenna off between deployments because there wasn't enough length for saddles to support the antenna when the vehicle was mobile.

Thanks for the answers guys. Alex, I had looked through the Blue Sky website & agree they have good stuff. Bill, I hear ya on the customizing. Some of their vehicles do have a custom mount already, one of them quite impressive & easy to set up for a single person in a couple of minutes (using a cordless power drill to spin the pulley system to extend the mast to 40-feet). Very nice & very heavy duty. But, at $3000 for the mast plus a ton of custom work on top of that, it ain't in the budget. I believe we've come up with something to affix the antenna that they'll be happy with that'll work on at least most of their vehicles, at less than $200 per.

Todd

Alex is right on about Blue Sky. We have a bunch of them in service and they are extremely flexible in mounting configurations. http://www.blueskymast.com/

We use a tripod that holds the freeway construction signs and masts like the aluminum military 5 footers.

I will get the mfgr info if you want.

I am sure I have a photo if someone can post it for me.

Will Burt makes the Hurry Up mast, with side vehicle mount optional and drive on plate standard. Its a great piece, heavy duty made of same principal of the pneumatics and will support your dipole with ease and with wind protection. Have one for last 3 years, works great lasts a Long time.

W1HVN wrote:Will Burt makes the Hurry Up mast, with side vehicle mount optional and drive on plate standard. Its a great piece, heavy duty made of same principal of the pneumatics and will support your dipole with ease and with wind protection. Have one for last 3 years, works great lasts a Long time.

Great info! They need to market this better, never seen in 20 years of going to shows.