Subject: Tactical Mast Source

Last year Fairfax ARES purchased several military surplus portable
tactical masts which have proven highly satisfactory during last year's
SET, the Marine Corps Marathon, Field Day, and demonstrations such as
at the ARES Institute.

When you do manage to find these at hamfests the complete kit with
eight 1.66"dia.  x 66" long, heavy-wall aluminum mast sections, tripod
adapter, guy collar hardware, stakes, guy ropes and erection rope
normally costs about $100.  We obtained ours from Frank Haduch 230
Aston Mount Road, Avoca, PA 18641, telephone 717-457-1191.  Our cost
was $50 per set plus packing and shipping, which brings single units to
about $70 each to a Arlington or Fairfax zipcode via UPS.  You can save
substantially on shipping if your organization gets six or more to be
shipped by truck.  To qualify for a discount from usual hamfest pricing
orders should be placed by County EC's on letterhead, specifying that
they are for ARES/RACES, ra ther than having individual amateurs place
separate orders.  Prior to placing orders for more than 4 units, it is
recommended you send e-mail to milsurpls1@aol.com to confirm current
availability.

We use these most often with the tripod adapter to make a 24'
self-supporting mast which works well for a portable VHF/UHF base
station or emergency tactical repeater vertical antenna up to 15 ft. 
high; or one VHF simplex relay yagi of boom length less than 12 feet;
or a pair of smaller crossband link yagis, each less than 4 feet such
when pairing a 4-element 2-meter and an 11-element 440 stacked above
each other on the same mast.

A caution when assembling as a self-supporter is to add 50 pounds of
ballast under the tripod legs whenever using antennas with a combined
wind loading of more than 1.5 sq.  ft., to provide adequate stability
under windy conditions.  I accomplish this by hanging a 5 gal.  plastic
bucket for ballast with 3/4" nylon flatline under the tripod, shoveling
it full of gravel or sand, then pouring it full of water.  You could
also use two or four 25-lb.  bangs of lead shot tied together with 6
ft.  lengths of nylon parachute cord and draped over the tripod
adapter.  If erecting or taking down the mast "solo" in a hasty
deployment the ballast is needed to keep the tripod legs from kicking
out as you walk the mast up and down, but is less important when you
have a helper.

When properly erected using all of the mast sections and guys you have
a very stable 40' guyed tower suitable for fairly substantial VHF yagis
such as the 13B2, or a small rotable HF dipole.  The whole rig fits
easily into the back of a pickup, van or SUV.

'73 de KE4SKY, Regards, Ed