The Ardmore Amateur Radio User Group

Discussion Forum => Projects => Topic started by: Cutter on Feb 25, 2026, 09:41 AM

Title: Tilt-over mast
Post by: Cutter on Feb 25, 2026, 09:41 AM
If and when I finally decide on the location and work up the courage to embark on this project, I'm planning to construct a DIY tilt-over antenna mast based on the excellent step-by-step construction documented at https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Tilt-Over_Mast. I'd love to credit the author, but it seems to be written anonymously.

Before I moved from Arizona to Okalhoma, my HF antenna was a DIY sort of inverted V fan dipole with an "ugly balun", the center suspended above the house roof on a very floppy mast made of 2" PVC pipe, one end tied to a tree and the other draped across the roof. Hey, it worked; got me all the way to Russia on 100W. My current acre-and-a-half has numerous places where I could string a similar antenna, and I'm still debating going this route, but what got me interested in a fold-down antenna was the literal THOUSANDS of lightning strikes recorded in my area since I got here in August of '24. There are two ceiling fans with burned out motors (how do you burn out the motor in a ceiling fan?!??), and the tree 20' from my north wall and quite near a power pole is essentially hollow; a dead tree with a live one growing around it, so I strongly believe it was lightning struck. Whether having a metal roof over the 2200sf structure helps or hinders, I know not.

My initial plan was to construct a mast like this next to the fence surrounding my sewer lagoon, and only raise it when I was using HF. That would require about a 75' run to where what passes as my shack currently lives. After doing more research on grounding and such, I've come to the conclusion that it may be better to put the mast right next to the house, near where the electric enters on the northwest corner. While searching for the post that got me thinking about this, I discovered a post at https://www.wv7u.com/mast/mast.html that specifically mentions an apparent direct lightning strike, so I'm leaning toward believing that bonding to the electric inlet grounding is a better option. Hopefully once I further refine my proposed locations I'll be able to get some feedback from people more knowledgeable about such installs than I.

Anyway, if and when this project gets underway I will hopefully have the presence of mind to take pictures and document it for those who follow.