mast / pole for wind gauge / direction

[ho66es]

hi I would like to raise my wind gauge as high as simply possible (and cheaply).

it is current attached to the rear eave of my garage and as such is lower than the house and some small trees.

http://www.ho66es.org/zenphoto/2010/201 ... 20station/

i would like to put the wind measuring devices on a raised pole, possibly up to 30' above ground level. Is there a simple way to do this with parts bought in say B&Q?

you can see my garage centred in http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie= ... 1&t=h&z=21 the round green oil tank is where the station is currently.

[goldrush]

at this height, unless you are very sheltered, or use a proper triangulated mast you will need guy ropes.
A reasonably sheap method is to obtain 3 10/12 feet galvanised TV aerial poles, clamps and guy wire connectors from a TV/satellite wholesaler... (installers tend to charge too much and it is often cheaper to pay carriage!).
I used aluminium poles instead of galvanised, simply because I some to hand.
I suggest you use 2" dia for the lower and 1 1/2 for the uppper 2.
Mine were simply clamped alongside each other, but better if mounted co-axially. but then I already had the clamps:-0
2 sets of 3 guy "wires" at 120 degrees.......... (the white tubes at the end of the guys are simply to stop the sheep chewing the nylon!)
1 set near the top and one set at roughly 50%
I used 3mm nylon rope only 250Kg breaking strain but has so far survived 60 Knot winds
M8 welded eye bolts into a bit of 1 1/2 inch agle iron concreted into the ground as adjustments
A short length of 2 inch pipe also concreted in with an M8 bolt through this and the bottom of the lower pole, (with the pole clamped further up when raised). allows it to pivot in order to lower it, after undoing guys, ... easy 1 man job .

Pic hopefully attached

[ho66es]

now thats a good starting point, i like the telescoping idea. I will cost the tubing and see how it goes. There's a few options on ebay <£100 too.

[werribee_au]

This is what I used for 10-15 years for a UHF radio antenna and never fell down.

I used 2 lenths of galv water pipe 1 x 1" x 5.5m long and 1 x 1 1/2" x 4.5 m long.
I inserted the 1" inside the 1 1/2 pipe and drilled and tapped holes to bolt the 2 together.

When erecting the mast, I slid the 1" pipe all the way into the 1 1/2" pipe, used a modified 1 1/2" pipe clamp to secure it
to the eave of the house. I then attached the antenna to the 0.5m section protudung out of the 1 1/2" pipe.

Once all was attached I lifted the 1" pipe up from inside the 1 1/2" pipe, adding cable ties to secure the coaxial cable as
I went, (A pair of lock grip pliers were handy to hold the pipe while placing cable ties and having a rest )
until the holes lined up, popped the bolts in, tightened them up and that was it. No guy wires. It did sway in a strong
wind a little about 4" to 8", but I never had it fall down.

In saying that I do recommend the use of guy wires even though I didn't (I'm a little older and wiser these days)

Oh yes, I did end up having to drill a hole at the bottom of the mast to let the rain water out.
Bit of a worry back in those days when all that I had was a power drill

[hills]

Wow, they're a pair of serious towers!
Goldrush, where are your rain gauge and transmitter, I couldn't see them in that photo? If they're not up the tower did you use a longer cable, if so how long?

[Super-T]

I was just thinking of replacing the leftover 2 x 2" wood that I temporarily used for my mast. I was thinking that you can buy aluminium extrusions of about 6 metres in square and round of various gauges.
Can anyone tell me if it is better to have tube or solid, square or round??

[hills]

We've discussed this on a landyachting forum that I'm a moderator on. Round tube or pipe accomodates twisting forces better and square tube accomodates side forces better. But then again we push this to the absolute limit trying to get the strongest, lightest landyachts. I would have thought for this application either would be suitable as it won't be under anywhere near the same stess, especially if you use guys as well. I would also think solid tube or pipe would be an overkill.

My sensors are at the top of a 2m alloy mast with guys made out of SS fishing line and so far feels solid enough, but then again I haven't had a gust over 40kph yet. To go any higher I'd just do exactly what they have done above.

[geoffw]

How about something a bit more solid to raise your wind gauge!!

Come on get digging.......

[Super-T]

Geoff.....I'll include a crypt for you

[beteljuice]

The beteljuice has a 30 ft aluminium mast (6 x 5 ft plug together sections) with two sets of nylon guys (but no sheep).

If you decide to go the (better) way of a metal mast, a few pointers:

• Earth it
  
  If you can extend your anemometer cable, slip it INSIDE the mast
  
  .. Did I mention ... EARTH IT !

[goldrush]

phil
For some reason this my response fell down a black hole!
My rain gauge and transmitter unit are on another small pole closer to the housel
Cable between wind sensors and transmitter extended to 50 metres.
I suggest that if you are in a built up area, you use cat 5 twisted pair screened cable to reduce the possibility of interference pick up from the plethora of radio operated domestic gadgets

[hills]

Thanks mate, wow its good to know we can extend 50m without issues. That creates a whole new list of improvements!

Luckily I have an RJ crimping tool so I can make up my own cables.

[werribee_au]

Phil,

I used the below RJ45 socket to plug the 4 wire anemometer & weather vane into, then used an 5m offcut of a 4 wire telephone cable with an RJ12 on one end, punched out the other end into the RJ45. worked a treat.

Had I been going any great distance I probably would have used cat5 cable.

I read in these forums somewhere that the RJ12 plug sits nicely in the RJ45 socket and it was absolutly correct.

[hills]

Excellent info!! Thanks Gerard!

[Gina]

Yes, indeed Very useful. I've decided I need to get my wind vane much higher than the 10ft it's at ATM. I've been trying to find RJ12 extension cables but if RJ12 fit in RJ45 that solves one problem. The wind vane and anemometer uses 4 connections on the RJ12 whereas many RJ11 cables only seem to have 2 and thus no good. I was thinking I'd have to cut the wind sensor to tx cable and extend it that way. Or maybe get inside the wind vane unit and attach a new cable entirely.

I added an extension to the flight of the wind vane but it still oscillates back and forth, so I think it must be due to air turbulence from nearby trees. It is above the trees but maybe not enough.