Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 89.djvu/453

 Constructing an Amateur's Aerial

��By K. B. ^\'aI•ner

��The following contri- bution won the first prize in the Popular Science Monthly's Ra- dio Prize Article Con- test which closed on June 15th. We would call it to the attention of our wireless friends because both in subject matter and in method of presentation it is the kind of radio material that we want to en- courage. The article that won the second prize will appear in the October issue. Its sub- ject is " Cures for Trouble in a 200-Meter Wave Outfit. ' '—EDITOR.

��THE construrtion of ama- teur radio apparatus has been very fully covered in the past few- years, but there is a notice- able dearth of data concern- ing the erection of amateur masts.

Fortunate, indeed, is the amateur who is located so that a mere "2 x 4" on house or barn will furnish a pole of good height. There are many of us not so located, how- ever, and the design and

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���erection of an eighty- foot pole which the writer put up at a moderate expense are here set. forth in hopes that the information will prove of value to amateurs whose range would be greatly in- creased if their aerials were swung higher.

A sketch of the complete pole is shown in Fig. 2, from which it will be noted that it consists of a timber. A, and three sec- tions of pipe, B, supported by guy wires at each joint. The timber is pro\ided with an iron collar at the top, through which the pipe is raised; and a small platform 6 feet from the top, from which the work of erection is conducted.

Details of the Timber In Figs. 7 and 3 are shown the details of the timber, which is preferably a 6-inch by 6-inch, long enough to stand 28 or 30 feet out of the ground. The length imbed- ded in the ground depends on the nature of the soil. If good hard ground, the ideal way is to imbed it in con- crete. In the writer's case, hard cla\' was struck at about 4 feet, and a buried platform 3 feet square, as shown in Fig. I, provided ample bear-

���Fig. 1. The Foundation

��Fig. 2. The Mast Complete 439

��Fig. 3. Top of Platform

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