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G8MNY  > TECH     13.04.06 22:15l 202 Lines 9755 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 26052_GB7CIP
Read: GUEST DL1LCA
Subj: Gyn polling up large masts
Path: DB0FHN<DB0FOR<DB0MRW<DK0WUE<CE8FGC<CX2SA<GB7YFS<GB7CIP
Sent: 060413/1913Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EU #:26052 [Caterham] $:26052_GB7CIP
From: G8MNY@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EU
To  : TECH@WW

(8 Bit ASCII Graphics use code page 437 or 850)
By G8MNY                                          (Updated Apr 06)

A 20M MAST
Over the years I have  tried several aerial systems. But settled on a well
tried & tested gyn pole system.

The biggest used to date uses 3x 21' (3x 6.5m) aluminium scaffold poles with
reinforced Jaybeam joiners & a 42'(2x 6.5m) steel gyn pole. (as we are getting
older a gyn pole used for putting up the gyn!)

A 3 tier of 4 guys @ 90ø                        ,,:Ý\
ensures stability.                         ,  ', ;'Ý `\
                             3 Guy    ,  '  , ','  Ý   `\
This design is the           Sets,  '   , '  ,'    ÝGyn  `\
mainstay of nearly           , '    , '    ,'      ÝPole   `\   Gyn
all my contest &             ßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßß         ` Pull up
/P activity.                     20m Mast     Ground^ Pivot    Rope

Structures higher than 66' (20m) have been attempted, but computer calculations
showed this to would be unstable, and these were borne out in practice when
erections proved in, ie. they would fall over!

The mast is always put up with NO aerials first, to make sure all the mast
bits work properly before the mast is loaded up. With the aerial loaded the
mast should be raided slowly & a spotter used to sort any snags out. Generally
you can tie off the gyn up rope at angle up to the point of balance, above that
someone should slowly pay out the rear 3 mast guys to stop any sudden shock on
the mast as it comes vertical.

If there is to be unsupported mast as in a 17el over 17el on 2M, then an extra
top guy is needed during gyning up the mast to stop the mast bending away from
the gyn. And this is untied from the gyn & allowed to rap around the mast in
use. 
 
REINFORCED JOINTS
            ________________                             [³³]
___________³o__o__o__o__o__o³_____                       /  \
Mast Poles ³________________³_Webbing                  Ä´    ÃÄ
___________³~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~³______            Webbing/  \  /
           ³o~~o~~o~~o~~o~~o³                            [³³]
            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
To stop the joiners tearing along the perforated centre line extra steel
webbings (0.4 x 2 x 25cm) were welded over the weakness both sides.

If the joints stretch & start to slip (let the aerial spin), then put a thin
wire (coat hanger) under one of the webbings sides & clamp up, this should bite
into the smooth ally pole & stop the spinning.
 
 
GROUND LAYOUT
All guy ropes use the                o (5x 5x 80cm)
safe "clove hitch" on                |   stakes
the bottom of the                    |
angled stakes.                    Ground
                                   Post --Gyn----->
Once the mast is up &    o          00<-----12m----->o
no further adjustment                Mast         /
is needed the clove                  |         /
hitch can be locked            Hinge |     17m
with a simple over knot.         Line   / 
                                     o

A short 1m steel ground pole is put it the middle to take all the hinge forces.

The gyn pole will need 2 side guys, these need not be @ full length 2/3 is OK.
The main pull up rope to the top of the gyn will need a strong pulley block &
suitable thick rope easy one the hands used (eg. 15-20mm).     
  
ROPES
A full mast rope set of 3 tiers of 4 guys and a gyn pole pulley system, takes
1,024' (312M) of rope. Using mainly 8mm polypropylene for strength & cheapness,
caused a storage problem, as the rope is ultra-violet light sensitive. For
speed we do not detach the measured ropes from the guy bearings for neat rope
hank storage, so a single guy tier of 4 ropes with its bearing is chain-laced
together to give quick & untangled storage. The bulky and UV free storage was
solved using 2 large dustbins. One for the 1st mast and Gym pole, and the 2nd
for the rest of the masts.

GROUND POST

    Gyn ³ ³  Ground                   Ground                Ground
    Pole³ ³  Post                      Post                  Post
        ³ ³  (_) __Swivel     Mast      (_)                  (_) Swivel clamp
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´-ÃÄ-ÅÄÅÄ¿ Clamp     ÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÂÄÄÅÄÅÄ¿           Mast_ÃÄ´
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´_ÃÄÄÁ=ÁÄÙLoose      ÄÄÄÄÄÄÅÄÅÄÄÁ=ÁÄÙ               ÚÅÄÅÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Mast   90øClamp  clamp!            (_)     tight            ÀÁÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
                               Gyn pole       Clamp        90øclamp  Gyn Pole
 
 All on the ground               Gyn up in air             Mast up

The top guy to the gyn needs to be low stretch or pre-tightened so that the
top of the mast ALWAYS bends towards the gyn pole. 

GUY BEARINGS
Either plate of tube collars resting on a large 2" (50mm) washer above the
joiners. The top set of guys will rest on exhaust clamp, also a enlarged guy
spacer is needed to stop the guys rapping around the pole.

       ³ ³                        ³ ³                       ³ ³
    ===³ ³===           Or    ,ÄÄ´³ ³ÃÄÄ,               ,ÄÄ´³ ³ÃÄÄ,
  /'  ÚÁÄÁ¿  `\              / `\³³ ³³/' \             / `\³³ ³³/' \
/     ³| |³     \          /     ÚÁÄÁ¿     \          /     µ Æ      \
      ³   ³                      ³| |³                      ³ ³ \
                                                                Exhaust
                                                                 Clamp
TRANSPORT
With the large poles, only roof racks could be used, this caused noticeably top
heavy problems with the vehicles. After some research we solved the problem,
with a designed for a dismantleable pole trailer. The law on the length of long
trailers is simple, the trailer other than it's drawbar, must not be longer
then the divisible load.
                                           _____
                                         ³(__[]_)³
Tow        _.-'~³]                       ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´                  [³]
Hitch _.-'~X====X========================X=======X=================X=³Tail
   0<'³    ³    X           Centre pole()³Brace  ³                 X ³Board
     ø`"-._X====X========================X=======X=================X=³
   Draw A  ~"-._³]   2x steel poles      ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´                  [³]
    Frame                                ³(__[]_)³
                                         Wheel unit
X = scaffold clamps.                    & mud guard
() poles
[] lights                             _.-XX-._
                                _.- '~   ³³    ~` Ä._
                         _.- '~4m     2m ³³ []    3m  ~` -._
                 _ .- '~     Pole    Pole³/~~~~\  Pole      ~` -._()
    ___   =X====X========================³ /~~\ ³=================X=[³]
   (_\____()___()]                     ()³| {} |³()
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~                          \__/

We welded up the design, & it has lived up to all expectations, regarding
cornering and loadings etc. The only problem has been the requirement to
manually drag the rear end around tight corners like at the contest site
entrance. The wheel unit can be bolted on to set the hitch load to 50KG as
the trailer load varies. As well as the tail board there are 6 other running
lights.

There are 2 shorter bracing poles that form 2 triangles & are tensioned up
before moving by tightening up the top clamps wile standing on the long steels,
this then forms a very ridged trailer.

The trailer can handle 6 Ally scaffold poles clamped on plus loads more on top.
So it can carry poles for 3 masts using the 2 steels as the shared gyn.
   
The pole trailer is completely dismantled for storage.

AERIALS USED
Mainly concentrating on VHF contests, I have used quite a collection...
Band
160M       > 100M random wire to halyard with many other aerials. 
80M        Insulated 66'mast as 1/4 Wave vertical
80M/40M    Trap Dipole & also inverted Vs 
20/15/10M  3el Mosley trapped beam.
6M         3el Coax and Bamboo Quad
6M         5el yagi beam
4M         2x 5el yagi & phasing harness.
2M         5el, 7el, 9el small beams & a 17el Met.
2M         4x 17el yagis Box stacking frame and power splitter.
70cm       9el, 19el, 23el yagis, 88el multibeam.
70cm       27el loop Yagi
23cm       24el, 65el loop yagi.

For 2M we used to use a box of 4x17el, stack/baying frame and 4 way power
splitter but due to its weight it could only be put up at 41'and took a good
hour to assemble on the mast. This gave a theoretical 20dB gain or 40KW ERP.
However the simpler, 2x17el staked at 10'(3M) apart with a coax splitter works
as well at 20m.

On 4M we stack 2x5el at 10'(3m) apart as well.

ROTATORS
Generally I use mast ground rotation, avoiding putting the heavy rotators at
the top of the mast. The slightly faster arm strong methods have been
superseded with bottom of pole rotators, mainly because of access to the mast
under all contest weathers.
                                          _³_³_____________________________
To put a heavy mast on                   |__________________________ Gyn Pole
the rotator, either have                   ³ ³      ³³
several helpers to lift a                  /³\      ÝÞ
tiller bar with the guys                  ³ ³ ³    Þ__Ý Jack
fairly loose. Or use a car              ÚÄÁÄÁÄÁÄ¿  ³  ³
jack under the horizontal               ³ROTATOR³  ³  ÃÄ¿
gyn pole to lift the load    Bracing____ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ  ÁÄÄÁÄÙ
while you assemble the          Feet      U   U
rotators clamp on the pole.         OR   Bolts in
                                          ground

WINDAGE
Generally this is not a problem as the gyning up process puts much higher loads
on everything than the wind will. But raising & lowering should be done side on
to the wind so the only effect it has is to keep one side set of guys tight, &
not help/hinder th mast raising & lowering.


Y Don't U send an interesting bul?

73 de John G8MNY @ GB7CIP


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