Author Topic: Anemometer elevator  (Read 1766 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline SLOweather

  • Global Moderator
  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 3456
    • Weatherelement Moline IL
Anemometer elevator
« on: January 27, 2018, 05:46:40 PM »
In the middle of the night, I woke up and laid there and designed an anemometer elevator for those who aspire to greater heights than they can achieve. :)

A post as tall as you want, with a garage door opener mounted on it vertically... Add as much track and chain as is needed to achieve desired elevation.

Mount the anny and transmitter on the trolly.

You'll probably have to hack the limit switches, or add new ones.

On a more serious note, it seems like it might be feasible to rig up a similar, manual arrangement on a flagpole. You'd need to fab up some sort of dock at the top to keep it secure and aimed correctly.

(FWIW, the garage door opener elevator idea isn't original to me. There used top be a shoe store in town with the repair shop upstairs. They used an opener as an elevator to move pairs of shoes up and down.)
« Last Edit: January 27, 2018, 05:49:06 PM by SLOweather »

Offline miraculon

  • Sunrise Side Weather
  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 4107
  • KE8DAF
    • Sunrise Side Weather in Rogers City MI USA
Re: Anemometer elevator
« Reply #1 on: January 27, 2018, 07:27:31 PM »
Quote
On a more serious note, it seems like it might be feasible to rig up a similar, manual arrangement on a flagpole.

Sounds interesting. For some reason the flagpole antenna on "Hogan's Heroes" comes to mind...

Greg H.


Blitzortung Stations #706 and #1682
CoCoRaHS: MI-PI-1
CWOP: CW4114 and KE8DAF-13
WU: KMIROGER7
Amateur Radio Callsign: KE8DAF

Offline WeatherHost

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 3649
Re: Anemometer elevator
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2018, 01:24:02 PM »
I had all this kind of thing figured out long ago to raise and lower a heavier TV antenna.  I never put it into use because I came up with a way to lean the whole mast over to the ground by using a winch and 100' or so of stainless cable.

The plan was to use one of the $50 Harbor Freight winches mounted at the bottom with a sheave block at the top to contain the cable.  Unit would be on a collar around the mast that would be pulled up and seat into a docking mechanism and be help in place by cable tension from the winch.

But that was for something much heavier.  For this kind of thing, a simple hand crank boat trailer type winch should work.  Care would have to be taken when bringing it down to avoid free wheeling which is why I might still use a powered winch.  But then again, in most cases, we're only talking 30' or less whereas my antenna was closer to 60' up.





Offline vreihen

  • El Niņo chaser
  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 1216
  • K2BIG
Re: Anemometer elevator
« Reply #3 on: January 28, 2018, 05:22:08 PM »
WU Gold Stars for everyone! :lol:

Offline WeatherHost

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 3649
Re: Anemometer elevator
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2018, 07:46:14 AM »
^^  I looked at a few of those before and I can see certain uses.  But I still think you could end up with a weight/control issue when lowering.  If it got away from you somehow, you wouldn't want anything under it.

I've got a small camera about 20' up right now.  Hung a steel cable over a pulling point at the top of a telephone pole and ran a bolt into the base of the pole to secure a 20' length of fence top rail.  Doesn't take a lot of effort to raise and lower that way.  But even with that, I have to make sure I'm not under it in case something lets go.  Losing a $70 camera would be a lot easier to handle than a broken shoulder.




Offline 92merc

  • BismarckWeather.net
  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 1308
  • BismarckWeather.net
    • BismarckWeather.net
Re: Anemometer elevator
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2018, 09:06:28 AM »
My biggest issue would be winds.  I'm using top rail now.  But that is mounted to the side of my house.  So only the top 20 feet sways a bit.  And the way my roof line is, I couldn't put cables up to steady it.  Which is why I've thought about a tall flag pole.

The tilting pole I think would work better for me.  Mostly because that box steel should hold up to winds well.  Last I looked, 83mph gust was my high.  I get a minimum of 60 mph every year.  So even most telescoping flag poles won't work for me.  Most are rated at 60 mph max.
https://www.BismarckWeather.net
Davis VP2, Cumulus, WeatherDisplay, Blitzortung, Saratoga Scripts, NOAA Stream via PI

Offline WeatherHost

  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 3649
Re: Anemometer elevator
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2018, 09:59:34 AM »
So even most telescoping flag poles won't work for me.  Most are rated at 60 mph max.

There are telescoping masts for antennas that have guy rings every ten feet or so.  If you have room to set guy anchors, that may be an option.  I don't remember what they cost.