Looking for a few suggestions

fletch99 · 28-Aug-2010, 11:26 PM

I know there are some ingenious people on here so maybe someone will have a simple idea. I mounted a telescopic mast to the corner of the chimney with straps. I can get to the top of the chimney with an extension ladder and could remove the pre-amp and let it hang. Then lower the third section to the rotor. Then loosen the bolts on the rotator and lift off the mast with antenna. I started to do this and realized that being that high with one hand to come back down was not safe.

If I temporarily put a pully up near the top of the chimney then loosen the telescoping mast and lift it off it's base plate then I could lower it with a rope through the pully. Not a great idea I know but all I can think of for a one man antenna swap with this thing.

John Candle · 29-Aug-2010, 12:37 PM

Put the ladder to the chimney , loosen the telescopic clamp , unfasten the telescopic pole from the strap clamps. The top section will slide in to the bottom section. With a helper on the ground it be easy to then let it tip over on to the ground level. . Or you can loosen the strap pipe clamps , get up on the roof , go to the high side of the roof chimney , get up on and sit on the chimney and have your helper loosen the telescopic clamp and then let the top section of pipe slide down and while sitting on the chimney do the work.

fletch99 · 29-Aug-2010, 1:22 PM

If I had a helper it would be easy to loosen it and lay it over for the swap. No helper but would still like to try a different antenna.

fletch99 · 30-Aug-2010, 9:43 PM

Got it. Rigged a small pulley around the chimney, fixed a rope through the pulley to the mast and tied off the other end. Loosened both clamps but couldn't get it out of the clamps. Tied a second rope above the first which I used to pull it free of the clamps. First rop kept mast balanced. Lifted the bottom out of the base plate and stuck it in a cinder block so it wouldn't kick out. Used the first rope to lower the mast down. Swapped antenna and pulled it back up. Set it back in the base plate and into the clamps and tightened everything up. I should have had the pulley secured better and a tad higher but it worked.

In hind site I think a telescopic mast should be free standing with guy wires. I think it would have been easier had I originally set it up that way.