Crank up mast

Crank up mast or in Dutch “slankmast” 

I always thought my antenna was pretty low mounted on top of the house. I usually have some problems with RFI although the neighbours stopped complaining. Even one of the neighbours came to me and told me not to worry, the problem was his “cheap” equipment which wasn’t RFI resistant. Thank you!

But the reception here in the shack is pretty poor, and I wish to run some more power as well. What shall I do? I decided to make a crank up mast which is about 5 meters higher as the one I have now. Funny, but here in Sweden they do not sell these masts (like Holland do!!!) so I have to make one myself with the materials available.

To find two pieces of masts wasn’t the problem. I bought from Brommastal in Bromma two pieces of quadratical mast (fyrkantmast). The price including deliverance was about Swedish 2200 krones. The outermast is 70x70x3mm thick, the innermast is 50x50x2 thick, both 6 meters long. I wished to have the 3 mmm thick one but that one was out of stock. Now I had to find a winch which I bought from Biltema (about 300 krones), 4mm thick wire 25 meters.  I had been looking around on the net because I want to take the tower down if I have to repair the antenne. A second winch was an option, but after long thinking I found a way this second winch became obsolete. See the pictures.

Now I needed a wheel for the wire going in the second part of the mast and for the take down of the mast. These I found on Jula. Just two weels which you can use to mount under a kabinet or so. I took away the “rubber tire” and the metal wheel was left. Furthermore I used some gardening material. Thick metal 71mm galvanized stolpes (or whatever its called) which I used for lifting the antenna. The concret foundation I bought from Byggmax, the largest one they had and 1 meter deep (only 99 krones)!

Only a lot of bults to buy and here this is the result. If you like to build one yourself (I assume swedish radio amateurs), please let me know if you have any questions.