MM0CUG Steel Box section mast arrives

Its been a long time coming and Gary, MM0CUG, managed to fit into my work schedule to come round to install the mast after getting stuck in traffic on the M25, but it went up easily in a few hours.

Ground post

Ground post

 

 

First the ground port went in. Luckily I had covered the socket with a plant pot to stop water and other things from going down it, and it was lucky I did so as we had a very large amount or rain fall this week. It slotted perfectly into the ground socket he had sent me before the hole was dug and filled with concrete.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attaching the winch

Attaching the winch

 

 

Next came the winch. This is an ATV winch capable of lifting 3500lbs and is remote control which will let me put the mast from inside the house and not have to come out and get wet!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottom section on mast

Bottom section on mast

 

 

Next the bottom section of the mast went on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shinning mast at sunset

Shinning mast at sunset

 

 

Here is another view of the bottom section of the mast tilted over with the sun glinting off it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top section and rotator cage

Top section and rotator cage

 

 

Here you see Gary, MM0CUG and Robert installing the winch cable and rotator cage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mast completed in lowered position

Mast completed in lowered position

 

 

Here is the mast in its lowered position.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quite a few things to still do, install the rotator and alloy mast. Then the fun part of installing the antennas starts.

 

Will post some more when I get the time to go the work..

 

73

Rob

 

 

4 thoughts on “MM0CUG Steel Box section mast arrives

  1. Hi
    I am thinking of getting a MM0CUG mast so would appreciate your comments now its been in use for a while.
    Are you still happy with it?
    Did you get the 10M or 12M version?

    I was looking at your ground post pictures. Is it a full cubic metre of concrete you used?

    73

    Dave
    GM4NFI

    1. Hi Dave

      Yes Im very happy with it. Its working very well and is very easy to raise with the electric whinch. I got the 10m steel version with a 90mm bottom section and a 70mm top section, but I got Mark to make me a special base post, it is longer than normal as I was putting a heavier than normal antenna on top and Im also on the side of a hill so I wanted the most support I could get.

      I am lucky that around here we have about 50cm of top soil and then we hit a chalk layer. We started digging and hit this layer so we just dug a smaller hole for the base socket. All the socket is buried in concrete with the bottom half of the post buried in the chalk. So depending how tall your mast is going to be and what your soil is like then yes, you need the full cubic meter of concrete.

      One thing to bear in mind is that you cannot put a top thrust bearing on the cage, unless you ask Mark especially.

      I hope that is of help. Let me know if you want any more info.

      Rob

  2. Hi Rob

    Thanks for the reply. I have quite a few issues regarding the exact version/size and positioning to sort out before ordering one.
    I want it when fully lowered to be just below the roofline of my house which is at 7.5M.
    Mark says he can make them any height between 10M and 12M.

    I have a large garden but I need it at the middle so I can also hang 80M/40M dipoles from it.
    Also this position is well hidden from my neighbours.
    Unfortunately the corner of my house is close to this spot!
    (Big garden but space at the ideal spot is tight.)
    I would position the groundpost within my garden but would then lower/raise it onto the open moorland behind my house. The angle of the groundpost and the length of the rear section that pivots down as the mast rises are critical. I will need to do some VERY careful measurment and possibly make a replica of the base section in wood to make sure it pivots at the correct angle and within the available space.

    I plan to probably put a hexbeam on it and a Yaesu G-450 though I also have a vy elderly 3 ele tribander stored in my garage loft.

    Anyway 73 and tnx fer the info.

    Dave
    GM4NFI

  3. Hi, I’ve just ordered the 12m Steel box section with cage for a SPID RAK rotator. Gary told me to purchase a specific Yaesu Thrust bearing for the top of the cage, so this has obviously changed now. Am I correct in assuming that the ground sleeve is just a square section tube and the actual mast could be later put in in any of four directions?
    For foundations, is it just 1m square hole, 1m down? I’m presuming the bottom of the sleeve must be directly into the soil for drainage. Can I just put a bucket of loose stone under the sleeve so that the concrete does not seal the bottom of the tube?

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